James Brolin and Barbra Streisand have been together for nearly 30 years. While they’re definitely not the first celebrity couple to speak about the key to a long-lasting marriage, James recently offered a slightly unconventional take on the subject. During an appearance on the Today show on April 15, 2025, the Westworld actor, 84, said their mattress has played an important role in their marriage — but not in the way you might think.
“The best investment we’ve ever made is our mattress,” James said on the show. “And don’t misunderstand me.” He went on to explain that he and Barbra, 82, are “both lazy,” so they spend a lot of time in bed. This is where they enjoy a lot of quality time together.
“We love to sleep late,” the actor explained. “We do a lot of our work on the phone, on paper, reading, right next to each other.”
James and Barbra met on July 1, 1996. Their wedding was exactly two years later, on July 1, 1998. In 2024, Barbra celebrated their 28th anniversary with a simple yet heartfelt Instagram post.
“28 years today since we met honey … and 26 years today since we married! Love you. B ❤️,” she wrote at the time.
In 2021, James revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic actually helped their marriage in a way.
“We, for a long time, were put out by COVID. And a lot of people, their marriages haven’t gone well during these 15 months,” he said on The Talk at the time. “We’ve literally fallen in love over this period of time, just being stuck together every day and making it work.”
During his recent appearance on Today, James added that in a relationship, you sometimes need to “take a walk” and cool down.
“You learn to take a walk. Both of us, not just me! I just think you gotta say, ‘OK, take a deep breath, take a walk,'” he said when explaining how to navigate challenges in a relationship.
