Barbra Streisand’s company that pays groundskeeper at her $20M Malibu mansion took $200k taxpayer-funded pandemic loan that was written off

A film company belonging to Barbra Streisand reportedly paid a groundskeeper at her $20 million mansion $200,000 in pandemic loan money. 

The New York Post reported that the 81-year-old star’s company Barwood Films Ltd had received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020 and 2021.

The outlet reported that the company paid the groundskeeper responsible for the gardens at her Malibu home, where the business is registered.  

A spokesperson for the Streisand claimed the gardener had not been paid with funds from the scheme, but the Post reported that he had been employed by the company when it took public money. 

Streisand, who according to Forbes is worth $430 million, bought the 19-bedroom clifftop mansion in 1997. 

Barwood Films had qualified as a small business for the tax-payer funded assistance, which had been rolled out to prevent mass unemployment. 

In April of 2020, the company was approved for a total of $103,662 for six workers, according to the post. 

The year after, the company received a further $103,127 and again reported it was to cover six workers. 

One of the employee’s had listed their job as ‘executive support’ while another in years previously had been responsible for ‘personal errands’ for Streisand. 

Other stars including Post Malone, Chris Brown, LeAnn Rimes and Nickelback all reportedly received millions of dollars from taxpayers during the pandemic.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant was designed as a lifeline for live entertainment business which had been decimated by lockdowns.

It doled out $14.5 billion to institutions such as movie theaters, ballets, performing arts venues and talent agents – as well as artists.

According to an Insider investigation, limited liability companies tied to arena-filling acts took advantage of this. 

Singer Post Malone and R&B artist Chris Brown, who has an estimated net worth of around $50 million, were reportedly among the artists who received the maximum $10 million payout. 

While it is unclear how the money was used, there is no indication that these payments to big-name artists broke the law. 

After beginning her career with performances in nightclubs and Broadway theaters in the early 1960s, the New York native put an emphasis on her singing career, releasing two studio albums a year from 1963 to 1967.

Her big breakthrough in film came with the adaption of the musical comedy-drama Funny Girl (1968), resulting in her winning an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Whether it was in film, as an actress or director, television, or the stage, Streisand succeeded in all avenues of show business.

Her wide-raging abilities over a career that spans more than six decades also put her on the short list of people to win an EGOT, which is someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

As of 2023, only 18 people have achieved competitive EGOT status and six others, including Streisand, have done so with honorary or special awards.

During a recent conversation with The New York Times, the iconic singer, actress and director said everyone should dress however they want regardless of their age.

‘People should express themselves and wear whatever they feel on any given day,’ the 81-year-old told the outlet.

Streisand says her personal style has ‘nothing to do with age’, and that there have been times during her career where she didn’t want to portray herself as sexy.

‘I was too afraid to be seen that way at that time,’ the Funny Girl star said, before adding, ‘Now I’m too old to care.’

Just weeks before, footage emerged of a boat filled with migrants landing on the beach in Malibu close to her home.