Barbra Streisand has revealed that her former partner Andre Agassi once hid in the boot of his car to avoid a media frenzy when he met her for dinner.
It was the prelude to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce from the 90s. Barbra repeatedly appeared in the stands at Andre’s tennis matches, causing a whirlwind of publicity that left fans hungry for details about their relationship.
In the case of Barbra and Andre, however, the attention came with a bite, often focusing on the massive 28-year age gap between them, as Andre was 22 and Barbra 50 when they were first linked.
Both have been tight-lipped about the true nature of their relationship, with Andre describing their “forbidden” relationship as “nothing more than a passionate friendship” while also saying: “Dating Barbra Streisand is like hot lava to transport.”
Now, in her new memoir, My Name Is Barbra, the legendary singer has opened up about the “fun” she had with Andre — and the lengths they went to to preserve a few precious shreds of privacy.
Wow: Barbra Streisand revealed her former flame. Andre Agassi once hid in the trunk of his car to avoid a media frenzy when he met her for dinner; pictured in 1992, when Agassi was 22 and Streisand 50
Remember when: The couple connected in the 1990s, when Barbra repeatedly appeared in the stands at André’s tennis matches, such as at Wimbledon in 1993
Let it go: Now the legendary singer has opened up about the “fun” she had with Andre in her new memoir, My Name Is Barbra
When she was in London to see him at Wimbledon in 1993, she went to a restaurant with a group of friends, including Donna Karan, and “[w]When Andre came to eat with us, his driver even hid him in the trunk of the car (which was funny at the time).
At the time of this slapstick night on the town, Barbra was 51 years old – and Andre, at the height of his tennis stardom, was just 23.
They first hit it off in 1992 after hotel magnate Steve Wynn called Barbra to tell her that Andre “admired” her – to which Barbra replied, “Who?”
“Because I don’t play sports, I’ve never heard of him,” she explains in her book. “Steve explained that he was a tennis champion who was going to play at Wimbledon, so I said, ‘Oh, wish him well.
In his attempts to introduce her, Andre called her to compliment her on her new film, The Prince Of Tides, which was her second turn as a director after her debut with Yentl.
“We ended up talking for two hours,” wrote Barbra, who at the time had no idea what the coveted tennis champion even looked like.
When Wimbledon started, she finally saw him on TV and was impressed not only by his athletic ability, but also by the fact that he was “good looking and had good teeth”!
Andre won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon that year, earning Barbra a congratulatory telegram.
Cosy: We see the couple cuddling in September 1992, when Barbra was 50 – and Andre, at the height of his tennis stars, was just 22
Delighted: They met on the phone after he called her to compliment her new film The Prince Of Tides (pictured)
Fascinated: At Wimbledon 1992 (where Andre is pictured) she finally saw him on TV and was impressed by the fact that he “looked good and had good teeth!”
“Forbidden”: “Most of the time,” Andre claimed in his memoir. Candid: “Barbra and I laugh at the shock and scandal our dates cause.”
According to Andre, the telegram included Barbra’s comment that after all her phone calls, “it was nice to put a face to the voice.”
Then came the personal dates, where Barbra said Andre was “smart and even more attractive to me, he was emotionally wise beyond his years.”
Their relationship was “completely unexpected” and “fun”, she wrote – although one of her attempts to impress him had results that turned out to be a little less pleasant.
“I remember playing tennis with him as my doubles partner (don’t laugh) and I pushed myself so hard I tore my meniscus,” she revealed. “I actually heard it pop, but I didn’t want to stop, not even to freeze it, because I didn’t want to look like a wimp.”
Her frequent appearances in the crowd during his matches, especially at Wimbledon in 1993, set spectators’ tongues wagging insatiably.
The media “overwhelmed us in London”, to the point that Wimbledon involved a very special “game” to “dodge the tabloid photographers”.
Andre discussed his and Barbra’s investigation in his own 2009 memoir, Open, written by the same author who later worked for Prince Harry at Spare.
“But nothing fascinates the British like Barbra Streisand,” Andre reflected in his book as he looked back at the Wimbledon she attended.
Dynamic duo: Andre was briefly married to Brooke Shields before settling down with fellow tennis player Steffi Graf, who he is pictured with in 2018
Meanwhile: Barbra found lasting love in the 1990s with husband James Brolin (left); The two are pictured with Andre (centre) in 2005.
“She arrives at Center Court to watch me play and there’s almost a trumpet blast. There are always celebrities at Wimbledon, but Barbra’s performance caused a stir like I’ve never seen before,” he marveled.
“Reporters harass her and later harass me about her, and the tabloids go to great lengths to analyze and denigrate our relationship, which is nothing more than a passionate friendship,” Andre emphasized.
Barbra also described meeting Andre as a “friendship” in her forthcoming new book, which reveals a dizzying series of romances.
“Most of the time,” claims Andre in “Open,” “Barbra and I laugh at the shock and scandal our dates cause.” We agree that we are good for each other. What if she was twenty-eight years older?
He and Barbra were, in his opinion, “sensitive,” and the public outcry only made our bond more exciting. It makes our friendship feel forbidden and taboo – another part of my general rebellion. “Dating Barbra Streisand is like wearing hot lava.”
Years after he and Barbra split, Andre enjoyed a brief marriage to Brooke Shields before settling down with fellow tennis player Steffi Graf, with whom he celebrated his 22nd wedding anniversary last month.
Meanwhile, in the 1990s, Barbra found lasting love with her husband James Brolin, with whom she celebrated her silver wedding anniversary in July.
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
