Barbra Streisand revealed that her former girlfriend Andre Agassi once hid in the trunk of his car to avoid a media frenzy when he met her for dinner.
It was Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s foreplay in the 1990s – Barbra repeatedly appeared in the stands at Andre’s tennis games, sparking a whirlwind of publicity that left fans hungry for details about their relationship.
However, in the case of Barbra and Andre, the attention was painful and often focused on the gaping 28-year age gap between them, as Andre was 22 and Barbra was 50 when they were first linked.
Both have remained tight-lipped about the true nature of their relationship, with Andre describing their “forbidden” connection as “nothing more than a passionate friendship” while also saying, “Dating Barbra Streisand is like wearing hot lava.”
Now, in her new memoir My Name Is Barbra, the legendary singer has shared her perspective on the “fun” she had with Andre – and the lengths they went to to preserve some precious bits 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 was 50
Remember when: The couple became linked in the 1990s when Barbra repeatedly appeared in the stands at Andre’s tennis matches, such as at Wimbledon in 1993
Let it out: In her new memoir, My Name Is Barbra, the legendary singer has opened up about the “fun” she had with Andre
While in London to watch him at Wimbledon in 1993, she went to a restaurant with a group of friends, including Donna Karan, and “[w]When Andre came over for dinner, his driver actually 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 peak of his tennis stardom, was only 23.
They first started dating 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 had never heard of him,” she explained in her book. “Steve explained that he was a tennis champion who was going to play at Wimbledon, so I said, ‘Oh, I wish him well.'”
Andre insisted on meeting her and called her to compliment her new film The Prince Of Tides, which marked her second directing role 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 champ 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”!
As is well known, Andre won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon that year, which earned Barbra a congratulatory telegram.
Cozy: The couple is seen cuddling in September 1992, when Barbra was 50 – and Andre, at the peak of his tennis stardom, was just 22
Delighted: They met on the phone after he called her to compliment her new film The Prince Of Tides (pictured)
Fascinated: During Wimbledon 1992 (where Andre is pictured) she finally saw him on TV and was impressed by the fact that he was “good looking 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 joke that after all her phone calls, “it was nice to put a face to the voice.”
Then came the face-to-face meetings, where Barbra said Andre was “smart and even more attractive to me because he was emotionally wise beyond his years.”
Their relationship was “totally unexpected” and “fun,” she wrote – although one of her attempts to impress him had results that proved somewhat less than pleasant.
“I remember playing doubles tennis with him as my partner (don’t laugh), and I pushed myself so hard that I tore my meniscus,” she revealed. “I actually heard it pop, but I didn’t want to stop, not even to ice it, because I didn’t want to look like a wimp.”
Her frequent appearances in the audience at his matches, particularly during Wimbledon 1993, kept the audience’s tongues wagging insatiably.
The media “flooded us in London” to the point that Wimbledon was accompanied by its own “game” of “avoiding the tabloid photographers”.
Andre addressed the criticism of him and Barbra in his own 2009 memoir, Open, written by the same author who later worked for Prince Harry at Spare.
“However, nothing fascinates the British like Barbra Streisand,” Andre reflected in his book, looking back at the Wimbledon she attended.
Dynamic Duo: Andre endured a brief marriage 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 her husband James Brolin (left); The couple is pictured with Andre (center) in 2005
“She arrives at Center Court to watch me play and it’s absolutely a flurry of trumpets. Celebrities attend Wimbledon all the time, but Barbra’s performance caused a stir like I’ve never seen before,” he marveled.
“Reporters harass her, later harass me about her, and the tabloids go to great lengths to analyze and belittle our relationship, which is nothing more than a passionate friendship,” Andre stressed.
Barbra also described her feud with Andre as a “friendship” in her new book, which otherwise reveals a dizzying array of romances.
“Most of the time,” Andre claimed in Open, “Barbra and I laugh at the shock and scandal our dates cause.” We agree that we’re good for each other, and what if she was twenty-eight years older?
He and Barbra were, in his opinion, “sensitive,” and the public outcry only adds spice to our connection. This makes our friendship feel forbidden and taboo – another part of my overall 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 star 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.