MYTH

Janet Charlton, Star, August 10, 1999
“Here’s proof that politics makes strange bedfellows. Hillary Clinton has a
secret weapon in her upcoming campaign for senator — Barbra Streisand. The
women have never been close, despite the fact that Barbra has long been
one of Bill Clinton’s most loyal supporters. Barbra once embarrassed Hillary by
visiting Bill at the White House when the first lady was away, but they’ve buried
the hatchet and Hillary realizes Barbra could be a valuable asset in her New
York campaign. Barbra has agreed to promote Hillary in a TV commercial.”

Janet Charlton, Star, August 3, 1999
“She won’t admit it yet, but Barbra Streisand is already making plans for her
next job after her upcoming millennium concert. She’s planning to co-star in a
movie with her husband James Brolin and she’s already working on the script.
It’s a light romantic comedy about a millionaire businesswoman who has
everything but love until she falls for a New York cabdriver. Not only will Barbra
play James’ love interest, but she’ll be his boss since she’s executive producer
and director.”

TRUTH

The Editor-in-chief of Star received the following response from
Ms. Streisand’s representative:

“We would like to call to your attention the fact that the two
consecutive items Janet Charlton has written on Barbra Streisand do
not have the vaguest relationship to the truth. These reports are pure
fiction. The film Ms. Charlton said Ms. Streisand and Mr. Brolin are
contemplating doing together (Star, August 3, 1999) exists only in Ms.
Charlton’s mind and in her column. As to the fabrications about Ms.
Streisand in Ms. Charlton’s August 10 column, Ms. Streisand is in fact
a friend of Hillary Clinton. Nor is anything else in Ms. Charlton’s item
about them within walking distance of the facts. We would ask you for
correction of these erroneous stories on Ms. Streisand, but your
practice, at best, is to acknowledge that the subject of a story, or the
subject’s spokesperson, denies that story. This is insufficient and
even misleading, for, in reality, it is the facts which deny the story.
Please advise how the truth in these two cases can be clarified for
your readers and future such erroneous stories avoided.”