Did Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford Date in Real Life?
Barbra Streisand is an entertainment icon, but she tries to keep her personal life private. That doesn’t stop the public from speculating about her. That especially applies to Streisand’s celebrity relationships with her former co-stars, including Robert Redford. The actor was a titan of cinema in the 1970s. He and Streisand starred in The Way We Were, a romantic film whose leads shared so much chemistry that fans wondered if sparks flew off-screen too. So, did Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford date in real life?
‘The Way We Were’ is a romantic classic
Barbra Streisand’s biographer addressed the star’s time on the set of The Way We Were in a biography released in 2016. In the movie, Streisand and Redford’s characters are in an opposites-attract situation. She’s a proud Jewish woman, and he’s an ambivalent Protestant. After World War II, their differences, which once seemed inconsequential, come to the forefront.
According to People, Redford didn’t want to play the role. He disliked the character, and the writers had to rework the script before he would accept the part. The result is a romantic classic that doesn’t shy away from real issues. The Way We Were tackles both political and relationship issues. In the end, the two stars were perfect for their roles, and they created a timeless movie.
Did Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford date behind the scenes?
Redford and Streisand had undeniable on-screen chemistry. It led many fans to speculate whether the two were dating. But that wasn’t the case.
According to her biography, Streisand was enamored with Redford. “It was obvious Barbra was just too, too crazy about Bob,” an on-set source claimed. “She had a hard time controlling her emotions, and when she played scenes with him, like the fireside courtship scene in Malibu, she was drooling.”
Streisand confirmed as much in later years. She presented Redford with an award in 2015. According to People, she said, “I’d like to say, ‘Dear Bob, it was such fun being married to you for a while. Too bad it didn’t work out.'”
But Streisand told the crowd, “We made something that will last much longer than many real marriages. I am so proud of the work we did together.”
Although Streisand had a crush on Redford while filming The Way We Were, she looks happy in her romantic life and probably doesn’t have many regrets about their time together.
Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand waited to get married
Although the now-80-year-old Streisand was briefly married in her youth, she spent most of her adult life and career single. At 56, she finally settled down with actor James Brolin in 1998. Their relationship is still going strong, suggesting Streisand’s marriage was worth the wait.
Redford also waited a long time after his first marriage to remarry. He had a wife of 27 years who divorced him in the 1980s. He didn’t get remarried for another couple of decades, tying the knot with his longtime partner, Sibylle Szaggars, in 2009. The now-86-year-old was in his 70s during that wedding ceremony.
Even though Redford and Streisand didn’t end up together, both appear happy in their romantic lives.
