Barbra Streisand is keeping things playful, and mysterious, when it comes to her rumored romance with longtime friend Warren Beatty.
In a candid interview with The New Yorker published June 14, the 83-year-old icon addressed speculation that she and the Bonnie and Clyde star had a fling back in the 1970s. When asked directly whether the two ever slept together, Streisand offered a hazy, yet cheeky response.
The legendary performer, who recounted the story in her 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra, quickly pivoted when pressed on the matter. Rather than confirm or deny, she shifted focus to the enduring nature of their friendship.
“I know we’re still friends,” Streisand added. “Every year on my birthday, he calls me and we have a wonderful talk about our lives, our children, and so forth.”
In her memoir, Streisand recalled once describing Beatty as “one of my flings,” though she admitted it was a flippant comment, per Parade. “I was just tossing off a reply, playing the role of a jaded woman of the world,” she wrote.
Recently, however, she said in the New Yorker interview: “I know I slept in the bed with him, but I can’t remember if we actually had penetration,” she said. “I swear to God, I can’t. There are certain things I block out.”
While Streisand and Beatty “go back a long way,” she hinted that their relationship had its complexities. During one recent phone call, Beatty reportedly said: “I remember why we broke up,” prompting Streisand to quip, “When were we together?”
After that conversation, she admits she began questioning the timeline herself. “I kind of remember. I guess I did,” she wrote of possibly sleeping with Beatty. “Probably once.”
Regardless of the details, the two Hollywood legends have remained close for nearly seven decades, since first meeting in Connecticut as young performers.
Both stars eventually found lasting love elsewhere. Streisand married actor James Brolin, now 84, in 1998, PEOPLE detailed. Beatty wed actress Annette Bening, 67, in 1992.
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As for the secret to Streisand and Brolin’s enduring marriage? The actor recently offered a humorous insight during an appearance on The Today Show in April.
“The best investment we’ve ever made is our mattress,” Brolin joked.
“And don’t misunderstand me,” he clarified. “We’re both lazy. We love to sleep late. We do a lot of our work on the phone, on paper, reading, right next to each other.”
Whether or not there was ever a romantic spark between Streisand and Beatty, one thing is certain: their decades-long friendship continues to outlast the rumors.