Barbra Streisand’s estranged troubled stepson Jess Brolin, 52, is seen living at a seedy California motel a decade after he was snapped rummaging through garbage
Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin live, as expected, in a posh Malibu mansion surrounded by 3,000 rose bushes. Last year, an interior design magazine called the mansion an “idyllic oasis.”
But for Brolin’s troubled youngest son Jess, a small motel on the outskirts of the artistic, celebrity-loved town of Ojai, California, is home.
The 52-year-old – brother of Men in Black and Avengers star Josh, 56 – was recently spotted outside the three-star Topa Vista Hotel, which is located on a busy highway opposite a coffee shop and hair salon, exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show.
The younger Brolin – who weighs more than 350 pounds – was photographed again last week while waiting for the bus in downtown Ojai.
Jess Brolin was photographed waiting for a bus in downtown Ojai, where he lives in a modest home
The 52-year-old, who is the stepson of Barbra Streisand through her husband James Brolin, was dressed casually in a black T-shirt with a Batman logo, a pair of baggy jeans and a pair of brown sneakers
Jess was with his famous family in 1998 when his father received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Jess, who is visibly overweight, wore a black T-shirt with a Batman logo, baggy jeans and worn brown sneakers with a bandage around his left ankle.
His temporary new home, which boasts on its website that it has “eight air-conditioned rooms,” each with a flat-screen TV, is owned by 64-year-old Steve Edelson, an LA nightclub magnate.
Photos of the property show simple but comfortable-looking rooms, all furnished with wood panelling and soft leather armchairs.
Calls to Topa Vista currently go directly to voicemail. There you will receive the following message: ‘If you are calling on behalf of Topa Vista, we are currently fully booked.’
A source told DailyMail.com that the current guests, including Jess, ‘have been there for a few months and will be staying for a few more months’.
As modest as Jess’s new home is, it marks a marked improvement in his fortunes.
Jess, who was pictured last week, was in the news ten years ago when he was photographed rummaging through trash in his neighborhood
Despite his family’s efforts to help, Jess is still living in temporary housing ten years later – now at the Topa Vista Inn – and has never attempted to restart his showbiz career.
The property, owned by LA nightclub mogul Steve Edelson, features “eight air-conditioned rooms,” each equipped with a flat-screen TV
However, his current living situation marks a revival of his fortunes, as he previously lived in a truck and on the streets
Online photos of the property show modest but comfortable rooms. A source told DailyMail.com that current guests, including Jess, ‘have been there for a few months and will be there for a few more months’
In 2011, he was living in a beat-up 1981 Toyota truck in the city after the trust fund he inherited from his mother ran out.
Jane Agee, the first of his father’s three wives, tragically died in a car accident in 1995, ten years after her divorce from the veteran actor.
Three years later, after the truck fell apart, Jess began sleeping on the street and was photographed raiding a dumpster for food.
A spokesman for stepmother Barbra said at the time that the family had tried to help but their offers had been rejected. In a statement, he added: ‘We have offered help and support and continue to do so.
“We love him very much and only want the best for him.”
Representatives for James Brolin and Barbra Streisand did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s requests for comment.
Despite the help offered to him, Jess is still living in temporary housing ten years later and has never tried to revive his showbiz career, which was limited to two films and one long-term employment stint in 2001 when he worked as a production assistant on the TV series Black Scorpion, a low-budget superhero series set in LA.
Jess reportedly became homeless and destitute after the trust fund he inherited from his mother ran out in 2011. He is pictured walking home from work last week during the Southern California heat wave with a gallon of water and Gatorade in hand.
Barbra Streisand has said in the past that the family has offered help and support to Jess
The younger Brolin, who was seen on the left with his father in his youth, is now rarely seen with his famous relatives, but was shown on his brother Josh’s Instagram years ago
Jess’s modest motel accommodations stand in stark contrast to the lavish homes of his famous family and the opulent residences he lived in as a child.
While father James and stepmother Barbra have a palatial estate in Malibu, brother Josh currently lives in a $7.1 million, six-bedroom ranch in Montecito – also famously home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Oprah and Katy Perry.
In addition to the Montecito home, which has its own riding stable, Josh also owns a $3.2 million, five-bedroom home in Atlanta, Georgia, which he currently rents out for $35,000 a month.
As children, Josh and Jess grew up in luxury on a ranch in Paso Robles and later in a mansion in Santa Barbara.
Jess is living at the eight-room Topa Vista Inn in Ojai and will likely be there for months
Jess’ stepmother Barbra Streisand and father James Brolin live in comfort and opulence in the actress’ $20 million, 19-bedroom clifftop mansion in Malibu
Older brother Josh recently purchased a $7.1 million, six-bedroom ranch in Montecito, where he lives with his wife and children
But despite their opulent surroundings, Josh previously described himself in a 2014 interview as a “neglected rich kid” who spent his wild teenage years stealing cars to support a drug addiction.
He continued, “It was Santa Barbara. It was the ’80s. It was punk rock. You either had kids from rich, neglectful parents or kids from poor, so it was a mix.
“But we basically grew up the same way. I’ve never seen a group like this before or since.”
He added: ‘I mean, I never got into it [drug use] and I never died from it, and that’s a good thing.
“I’ve had 19 friends that have passed away. Most of the guys I grew up with, they’re all dead now. The group of guys I grew up with, 37 of them are dead.”
In an interview with GQ this year, he doubled down on the stakes, telling the magazine, “Twelve are in prison. Four are in prison and also dead. I keep a close count, all 37 dead. I come from a tough background, you know?”