The $400 million divorce of BARBRA STREISAND and JAMES BROLIN has shifted into overdrive, say sources, after she blamed him for “humiliating” her in front of some top celebrities and President Barack Obama!
Sources say Barbra was so disgusted by Brolin’s behavior at the USC Shoah Foundation Ambassador for humanity 20th anniversary dinner that she booted him out of their Malibu mansion.
The May 7 gala in L.A. was held in honor of Obama and hosted by Conan O’Brien. “Schindler’s List” star Liam Neeson attended, and Bruce Springsteen provided musical entertainment.
“Barbra laid into James for acting like he didn’t even want to be there, and she got so worked up she told him to get out of the house,” a close source told The ENQUIRER. “This may well be the final blow to their marriage.”
The brouhaha began after Obama started chatting with the “The Way We Were” singer, 72, and former “Marcus Welby, M.D.” star, 73.
“Barbra was elated that the president would take time to speak with her,” said the source. “But James appeared to be disinterested with the whole thing, though he did say something to Obama.”
A second source added: “It was one of the biggest nights of Barbra’s life, but Jim looked like he was bored and couldn’t wait to leave.
Barbra wanted to be the Queen Bee among her A-List peers, and Jim not only embarrassed her in front of the president but also all the other luminaries who were there.
“Afterward, she gave him a terrible tongue lashing, screaming at him, ‘How could you do this to me?! You knew how much this meant to me!
You acted like you didn’t even want to be there!’ Jim spat back, ‘It always has to be about you, doesn’t it? What about me?’ And that’s when Barbra flung open the door of their house and yelled, ‘Get out!’”
The source added that after James left, he stayed with his son Josh Brolin.
As The ENQUIRER has reported, there’s no love lost between Josh and Barbra, and our source said that Josh told his father he’d be better off without her.
But James later returned to the couple’s sprawling 10,000-squarefoot home because “when he leaves the marriage, he wants it to be on his own terms, not Barbra’s,” said the source. “He’s not going to let her browbeat him anymore.”
Now, insiders insist the marriage looks as good as over.
“It was hanging by a thread before, but this has pushed it over the edge,” said the first source.
As The ENQUIRER has reported, Brolin got fed up with his diva wife’s controlling ways late last year and declared: “I want out!”
Sources said he was tired of Barbra treating him like “a second-rate citizen,” and he signed on for tons of showbiz work to put distance between them.
While Streisand is one of Hollywood’s most honored stars with two Oscars, five Emmys, eight Grammys and a Tony Award, insiders say she refuses to rest on her laurels, and her killer work schedule has also infuriated Brolin. We’ve further reported that accusations of cheating and betrayal heated up the couple’s big-bucks divorce battle, with sources saying sexy “Castle” star Stana Katic was caught in the middle after Brolin appeared on the TV drama and Barbra grew jealous over his friendship with the brunette beauty. Brolin shot back: “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Besides that, as The ENQUIRER reported, Barbra only recently learned that Brolin’s first wife, Jane Agee, alleged in divorce proceedings that the couple had an “open marriage,” which a source said Barbra found “disgusting.” Insiders added that the “Funny Girl” star “hit the roof ” after learning about allegations regarding her hubby’s secret “cheating” past.
Most recently, we reported that the couple’s $400 million divorce battle had sparked an ugly family war.
Sources say the two hit the breaking point over their kids – Barbra was outraged about the behavior of Brolin’s badboy son Josh, while James is fit to be tied over Barbra’s endless coddling of her gay son Jason Gould.
Now, friends say this latest clash over Brolin’s behavior at the gala may have sunk the marriage for good, just days before their 16th anniversary on July 1.
Pals also expect that both of them will start shopping for divorce attorneys, if they haven’t done so already.
“It’s unlikely that Barbra and Jim will recover from this,” said a pal. “It looks like they’ve come to the end of the line!”
