Newly unearthed photos show Barbra Streisand’s troubled stepson Jess Brolin was in dire straits at least a decade ago, as he was seen rooting through trash bins while living in his broken down truck.
Things have gotten little better for the Hollywood scion who is now staying in a shabby motel on the outskirts of the chic, artsy town of Ojai, California, as DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday.
Streisand, who is married to Jesss actor father James, has not responded to multiple requests for comment or given details of how his famous family has tried to help.
But her luxurious life in a $20m Malibu mansion stands in stark contrast to that of Jess who has oscillated between temporary housing and life on the street for more than a decade.
Jess is currently staying at the three-star Topa Vista Hotel which sits on a busy highway opposite a coffee shop and a hair salon.
Unearthed photos of Barbara Streisands stepson Jess Brolin show him dumpster diving in a wealthy California town over a decade ago. The images show him dressed entirely in blue and even heftier than he is now, grabbing food from a trash can.
Jess currently resides in a modest motel on the outskirts of Ojai, California
The youngest Brolin, whose older brother is Men in Black and Avengers star Josh, 56, has been staying in the property for ‘several months’ and is expected to stay there for several more.
While Jess’s new home is modest, it is an improvement on the battered 1981 Toyota truck that he lived in after the trust fund he inherited from his mother ran out in 2011.
Jane Agee, the first of his father’s three wives, was tragically killed in a car accident in 1995 – 10 years after her divorce from the veteran actor.
DailyMail.com’s new-found photos show Jess, 52, three years later in 2014 after his life spiraled even further and he ended up living on the streets.
The images show him dressed entirely in blue and even heftier than he is now, grabbing food from a trash can.
At the time, a representative for stepmom Barbra said the family had attempted to help but had their offers rejected, adding in a statement: ‘We have offered help and support, and continue to do so.
‘We love him very much and want only the best for him.’
Barbra Streisand, married to Jesss father, James, has remained silent despite her stepsons struggles. Her lavish lifestyle contrasts sharply with his ongoing difficulties
Jess was with his father, stepmother and older brother Josh in 1998 when James Brolin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Despite the offers of help, a decade on Jess is still in temporary housing and has never attempted to restart his showbiz career which was limited to two films and a single period of prolonged employment which came in 2001 when he worked as a production runner on TV series Black Scorpion – a budget superhero series set in LA.
Jess’s modest motel accommodation is in stark contrast to the luxury homes enjoyed by his famous family.
His temporary new home, which boasts of having ‘eight air-conditioned rooms’ each with a flat-screen TV on its website, is owned by LA nightclub boss Steve Edelson, 64.
A spokesman for Ojai City Council told DailyMail.com that the property sits outside the city limits in an unincorporated community called Meiners Oaks and was unable to confirm whether it is being used for homeless housing.
Photos of the property show modest but comfortable-looking rooms, all decorated with wooden paneling and squashy leather armchairs.
Ten years ago Jess, then 42, was even heavier than he is now
He is regularly seen around Ojai where he has lived for more than a decade
While Jess lives in a cramped room in the Topa Vista Inn his father and stepmother call a $20 million, 19-bedroom clifftop mansion in Malibu home
Along with the Topa Vista, Edelson also owns the swankier Hummingbird and Capri hotels as well as legendary Ojai dining spot The Ranch House where the seasonal menu currently includes delicacies such as herbed slow-roasted porchetta, scallop risotto and a signature pate spiked with cognac.
Calls to the Topa Vista currently go straight to voicemail where a message said: ‘If you are calling for Topa Vista, we are fully booked at the moment.’
A source told DailyMail.com that the current guests, including Jess, have ‘been there for a few months and will be there for a few months more’.
In contrast, dad James and stepmom Barbra have a palatial Malibu estate, brother Josh currently lives in a $7.1m six-bedroom farmhouse in Montecito – famously also the home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Oprah and Katy Perry.
Along with the Montecito house, which also has its own equestrian arena, Josh also owns a $3.2m five-bedroom home in Atlanta, Georgia, which he is currently renting out for $35,000-a-month.