Barbra Streisand’s Film Company Pockets $200K in PPP Funds, Pays Malibu Mansion Gardener

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Barbra Streisand’s film company, Barwood Films Ltd., which pays the groundskeeper at her $20 million Malibu mansion, received $200,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds intended to help small businesses make payroll, as was recently reported in the New York Post. The federal government later wrote off these loans, leading to controversy as the multimillionaire star’s production company benefited from taxpayer-funded assistance. The revelation has stirred debate about the appropriateness of PPP funds for well-established entities such as Barwood Films.

Barwood Films Ltd. received PPP loans in 2020 and 2021, with the federal government subsequently writing off the loans. In 2020, the production company qualified as a “small business” and was approved for $103,662, citing payroll support for six workers. The following year, it received an additional $103,127 for payroll protection. The Post report also indicated that companies that met certain criteria, including spending at least 60% of the PPP funds on payroll without reducing workers’ pay, were eligible to have their loans forgiven along with any interest accrued.

Barbra Streisand, 81, is estimated to be worth $430 million, according to Forbes. Known for her lavish living, she owns a $20 million cliff top Malibu mansion with extensive gardens, including 3,000 rose bushes and a replica antique shopping mall in the basement, the Post report said.

The English-style garden and manicured lawns have featured extensively on her Instagram, as was reported by the Post.  They include a lovingly tended gravesite for Samantha, her beloved pet Coton de Tulear, who died in 2017 and whom she had cloned, giving her Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett, the report added.

The mansion also has eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and faces the Pacific ocean.  Streisand’s financial status has raised questions about the necessity of PPP funds for her film company, particularly given her substantial personal wealth.

The controversy deepens as reports indicate that among the workers paid through Barwood Films were a groundskeeper responsible for Streisand’s Malibu mansion gardens and an “executive support” employee. While Streisand’s spokesman denied that the groundskeeper was paid with taxpayer funds, The Post has confirmed that the groundskeeper was indeed employed by Barwood Films when it received public money to make payroll. Critics argue that PPP funds are intended for struggling small businesses and question the appropriateness of affluent individuals benefiting from such financial assistance.

Barwood Films took advantage of the PPP program by having its loans forgiven after meeting the specified criteria. The production company, which last produced a film in 2017, netted $209,069 from the taxpayer-funded bailout. PPP recipients were allowed to spend up to 40% of the funds on utilities, essential purchases, protective equipment, and rent, according to the information provided in the Post report. The vast majority of PPP loans, including Barwood Films’, have been forgiven by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Barwood Films, known for producing iconic films like “A Star Is Born” and “Yentl,” was last active in 2017 with the 1976 release of “Barbra: The Music, the Memoirs, the Magic,” as per the report in the Post. Public records show that Barwood is registered to the office of money manager Lester Knispel, who is also the assistant secretary of the Barbra Streisand Foundation, the Post report added.  Calls and emails to Boulevard Management, which handles money for Knispel, were not returned to the Post.

As discussions unfold, the incident adds another layer to the ongoing dialogue about the accountability and fairness of government aid programs.