An enduring popularity that culminates from an outstanding combination of exceptional talent, versatility, and charisma made Barbra Streisand a beloved music icon. The iconic singer has captivated her audience for over six decades, captivating them with her distinctive voice and the ability to convey emotions through her nuanced performances. Streisand’s son, Jason Gould, recently opened up about the trauma that has affected his life for the worse and the challenges that he has faced.
The son of the Woman in Love singer and actor Elliot Gould opened up about his take on the nepo baby conversation. The 57-year-old actor has given a much thoughtful and meaningful insight and how everyone has their struggles by sharing his obstacles with the world.
Barbra Streisand’s Son Opens Up About Generational Trauma and His Struggles
Nepotism is a serious problem in Hollywood, as it limits diversity and hinders talented individuals from finding opportunities in the industry. They are often overlooked by influential families, who would recommend their blood for major roles. Recently, Jason Gould talked to PEOPLE and gave his honest thoughts on the judgment of nepo babies in the entertainment industry.
He said,
“It’s so dismissive. As if people who are born to successful people, in whatever industry that would be, that they get dismissed as nepo babies. It just feels so mean-spirited because so many people follow in their parents’ footsteps, not only in terms of their professions, but it’s just the way the world has worked for generations and generations.”
Gould also talked about his challenges and shared with the media outlet how he had to find different ways to individualize himself from his well-respected parents. He said,
“Listen, I’ve had my advantages, but I’ve also had my challenges. So, I just look at the bigger picture. I think there are ways that probably people think life is, that is not accurate. There’s a lot of projection going on.”
The Listen to Me actor opened up about his struggles and how it came from a young age, but he found his solace in music and came up with little melodies.
He said,
“I was always a kid who who would sit at the keyboard and come up with little melodies. I do music for my own pleasure because I have a need to create and express myself. The pressure, it’s really not there for me. I mean, I strive for excellence, but perfection doesn’t exist. I am at peace with that now.”
Nevertheless, the actor’s insight on being a product of nepotism was meaningful and gives a deeper understanding of the complicated topic.
Jason Gould Opens Up About His Generational Trauma
In a different interview with PEOPLE, Jason Gould sshard with the outlet how he read his mother’s memoir titled My Name is Barbra, which talks about her troubled childhood, stating he did not know how his mother was a “little shoplifter as a kid.” Gould mentioned how he read every page of the memoir and found it to be quite painful. He said,
“I thought it was very honest, and I thought it was well-written. It had painful [parts] that were a little hard to read. We all have trauma. That’s the thing. Including me. And the question is, ‘How do we heal it?’ So, I’m definitely on that path.”
He added,
“My mother lost her father, when she was an infant, so that’s a huge trauma. She had a stepfather, who was abusive. That’s a huge trauma. My father’s mother had tremendous trauma. How could that not affect him and, therefore, affect me? How could my mother’s trauma not, therefore, affect me? It has, even in ways that I’m sure they’re not even conscious of.”
Barbra Streisand’s son opened up about his problem, where he stated how he would come up with little melodies but never knew how to turn them into songs. He said,
“As a child, I was always a kid who would sit at the keyboard and come up with little melodies, but I never knew how to develop them into a full-fledged song. And I never even attempted to write lyrics until maybe a little over 10 years ago, but it’s always been a part of me.”
He continued how he enjoyed music but a “part of me that I was afraid to explore because my mother was an icon in that world.” He said,
“It was like, I don’t want to be judged and compared to her, so I kind of dampened down that part of myself, for a long time, until I couldn’t anymore. I had to work through some fear to be able to do it. I sort of reclaimed my voice.”
While everyone thought Jason Gould had it easy, he had his own share of reasonable problems. Though he would have been famous, he had to constantly work whilst being compared to his mother, who is a legend in her respective field, making him live in her shadow forever.
