EXCLUSIVE: Barbra Streisand, 84, Sparks Huge Worries for Her Mental and Physical Wellbeing as She Blasts Hollywood Machine 'From Her Sick Bed'
Barbra Streisand has left her fans worried about her wellbeing.
May 26 2026, Published 2:10 p.m. ET
Barbra Streisand has sparked growing concern among friends and fans after appearing frail in a video address while accepting an honorary Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, with insiders fearing the Hollywood icon is struggling physically and emotionally as she reflected on decades of battles with the movie industry.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the 84-year-old Oscar-winning actor, singer, and director had been due to attend the ceremony in person in Cannes, France, on Saturday, May 23, but pulled out on medical advice while recovering from a knee injury.
Barbra Streisand Sparks Concern After Missing Festival
Streisand skipped the film festival on advice from her doctors.
Streisand instead appeared via video message as festival organizers honored her alongside filmmaker Peter Jackson and actor John Travolta during the 79th edition of the festival.
Her appearance came just months after Streisand returned to the Oscars stage to perform The Way We Were in tribute to her late co-star Robert Redford.
A source close to the festival told us: "Barbra sounded reflective and emotional in her video address. But people around her are worried because she appeared exhausted and deeply affected when talking about the struggles she endured in Hollywood. It felt less like a victory lap and more like someone confronting the toll that career took on her, and it seemed as if she basically filmed this video from her sick bed."
French actress Isabelle Huppert praised the star for her charity work.
Before Streisand's speech, French actress Isabelle Huppert praised the entertainer for her support of LGBTQ+ communities and celebrated her influence across music, acting, and directing.
In her recorded address, Streisand spoke emotionally about discovering international cinema as a child while visiting a theater near her Brooklyn school that screened black-and-white classics from Europe and Asia.
She said, "I was mesmerized by those images on the screen. They were so powerful that they're still in my head. I wanted to be an actress and live in those other more interesting worlds."
Streisand credited filmmakers including François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kurosawa with shaping her ambitions as an artist and later inspiring her work behind the camera.
Barbra Streisand Recalls 15 Year Directorial Battle
The iconic singer fought for fifteen years to make her landmark film.
She also revisited the years-long fight to make Yentl, which became her landmark directorial debut after repeated rejection from Hollywood studios.
She said, "I was a woman, which was an obstacle to people.
"Even worse was an actress who wanted to direct. So every studio turned me down. And for 15 years, the project was on the verge of collapsing. But I had to make this movie."
Another source familiar with the event said, "Barbra has never hidden how painful battles like this were for her. Hearing her speak from home instead of standing on that stage in Cannes made it all feel more poignant. There is real concern about how isolated she has become during her recovery."
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The legendary artist praised cinema for its power to bring people together.
Streisand also reflected on global instability while praising cinema's power to connect audiences.
She said: "In this crazy, volatile world that seems more fractured every day, it's reassuring to see the compelling movies at this festival, by artists from many countries.
"Film has that magical ability to unite us, opening our hearts and minds. I'm so proud to be part of this community, so merci beaucoup and vive le cinéma!"
In a previous statement explaining her absence, Streisand said: "On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year."
