Josh Brolin’s brother is homeless and living out of his car

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This story is so sad! Like I started to get teary-eyed reading it, particularly the part where James Brolin’s rep was saying he would help his son however he could. Maybe it’s PMS. Anyway, Josh Brolin has a brother who is now living in homeless shelters, his car, and with friends when he can. The poor guy is 300 pounds and it sounds like he’s given up on life. (The National Enquirer has a photo and he’s very big. He looks just like Josh and his dad James too.) Jess, 39, is one of James’ Brolin’s sons from his first marriage, to Jane Cameron Agee. Agee died in 1995 in a car accident and it sounds like Jess never quite got over it. He still drives the pickup truck he inherited from his mom, and while he was doing ok for a while living off the trust that was left to him after her death, the money ran out earlier this year. He’s unemployed.

Hollywood legend James Brolin is reeling from a secret heartache – his youngest son Jess has become homeless, the Enquirer has learned exclusively…

Josh, 43, and Jess, 39, are the sons of [James] and his first wife, wildlife activist Jane Cameron Agee, who tragically died in a 1995 car wreck 10 years after the couple divorced

“Jess was left a six figure trust after the death of his mother and has been living off that ever since,” a close pal told The Enquirer. “But that ran out in May, and since then Jess has been living in shelters, staying with friends or sleeping in his banged-up pickup truck on the streets of Oxnard or Ventura, Calif.”

Jess still drives the blue 1981 Toyota truck he inherited following his mother’s death.

“Jess doesn’t seem to do much more than eat and sleep,” revealed the pal. “He likes to read comic books and watch videos when he stays with friends. He complains he has to live on the streets because his family won’t help him. He says they don’t care!”

But The Enquirer has learned that Jess has spurned all offers of help from his family, James and Josh Brolin and his stepmother Barbra Streisand.

His 71 year-old father has repeatedly tried to get him work in the film industry and has even offered to pay for Jess – who tips the scales at well over 300 pounds – to join a gym or weight-loss program, in addition to offering him a place to stay.

But Jess refuses to accept any offers of help from his dad. He was living in an $850 a month apartment in Ventura, Calif. before becoming homeless on May 31…

Meantime, a family spokesman told The Enquirer that Jess’ dad James never gave up on his son.

“We have offered help and support, and will continue to do so,” said the rep. “We love him very much and want only the best for him.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, July 25, 2011]

What can you do for a family member who refuses help, except let them know you’re there for them? It’s just sad. It’s also pretty shocking to hear that a member of the famous wealthy Brolin family is homeless and out of work.

First photo below is from the set of Men In Black III on 6/6/11. All photos credit: WENN.com

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41 Responses to “Josh Brolin’s brother is homeless and living out of his car”

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  1. the original bellaluna says:

    Sad. So sad.

  2. Maritza says:

    You can’t help a person that doesn’t accept your help. The only person to blame is himself.

  3. e.non says:

    how sad; but there’s not much you can do when help is declined. maybe the publicity surrounding this will help jess pull himself together.

    otoh … james brolin is 71! damn.

  4. brin says:

    Wow….I never even heard about him. Very sad story.

  5. Drivel Lady says:

    Maritza’s right. They have to ask for help and sometimes there are plenty of people they can ask. Who knows why they don’t. We can’t know the family dynamic.

  6. Anti-icon says:

    This really is a terribly sad story. But really, it is Jess’s prerogative to either accept financial help from his father or not. It’s his dilemma. (It is a stunning piece of information, though.)

  7. GeekChic says:

    It sounds to me like the poor guy is suffering from depression or maybe bipolar disorder. That can make people withdraw and refuse help. I hope he gets himself together and accepts the help that his family has offered.

  8. michelle says:

    It sounds like theyre saying they wont accept him unless he looses weight. Thats not right they all have plenty of money the least they can do is make sure he has a place to stay and food to eat.

  9. Blue says:

    @ michelle it doesn’t seem like that at all. It says they offered to pay for a gym membership & a place to live. He refused

  10. Lady Satan says:

    I really don’t find this sad, I find it pathetic.

    He was given a six figure trust fund, and he ran through ALL of it? How? Even in the most modest bank account that six figures could have been earning enough interest to live quite comfortably on.

    I find it very hard to feel sorry for someone who was given such a gift (not to mention all the opportunities that that gift entailed) and then threw it away.

  11. really says:

    Very sad, just sad. What is even more disturbing is to just blow a trust fund period. INSANITY.

    Josh Brolin has always been such a cute hottie. He looks fantastic for 43! Good genes.

  12. lucy2 says:

    I too think it sounds like the guy is obviously suffering from depression or some other illness. It must be frustrating for the family to try to help him only to be refused. I hope he’s able to get some help and get his life back together.

  13. Iggles says:

    This guy must have mental health issues. Definitely some sort of depression. It’s a sad situation..

  14. Melissa says:

    @LadySatan – a six figure trust could be as little as $100K. Even if it was $500K, interest rates have been in the tank for several years now, and he got the trust 16 years ago, so it clearly lasted quite a while. I feel bad for the guy – he clearly has severe depression or worse. Unfortunately, money doesn’t solve all problems.

  15. Anti-icon says:

    Six figures. That could mean 100,000 and he has lived on it since 1995. THAT’S 16 YEARS.

    If he did what most Americans do, and put it in a passbook saving account he earned less and 2% interest, which would hardly mean he blew his wad like an irresponsible teenager.

    I am somewhat horrified that the initial, knee jerk reaction of SOME posters to learning about this person is to bash him for being a spoiled entitled and financially reckless person.

  16. Narsa says:

    Geekchic: totally agree with you sounds like depression or a other serious undiagnosed issue. Instead of his his father offering a gym membership he should be offering him to go to the doctor and get checked out , diabetes blood pressure poor guy could have a thyroid problem gained excessive weight has excessive hunger , he could have health issues that have never been assessed properly , ashpergers in adults I’ve seen that a lot , his mom is not around she obviously raised him so he is hurting . James brolin needs to not give up on his son he needs to have understanding empathy patience and love … I can’t imagine family who give up shame on James brolin I will never look at him the same And Josh your a di@k also what kind of older brother does that ! How hard is it sounds like they are too busy & unattached emotionally to help anyone else but them… Go buy the guy some comic books find common ground show you care about his needs & get him into a adult care assist program to provide him with support & structure & medical …. Sounds like he does good in routines ….

  17. lin234 says:

    850 for an apartment in California hardly gets you anything but the most basic place and he’s still driving around an old truck his mother gave him. Sounds like he’s been frugal and the money just ran out after 16 years.

    Can’t be easy being the odd one out in a very successful family.

    I agree with Narsa. Clearly there is more going on then a gym membership can remedy. That was probably the condition: lose weight and we’ll give you a place to stay. It’s such a shame because you just know there are 2 guest houses that are just empty on his brother’s and dad’s mansions.

  18. Onyx XV says:

    @ Lady Satan: ITA. I don’t feel that sorry for someone who was given ample opportunity to thrive and chose not to.

    My Dad inherited a 6-figure trust from his father in 1995 when he passed away, and he still has it. It can be done. It’s called financial planning.

    Now, on the other hand, if there is mental illness involved, that is a different story. Who knows? Also I don’t find this shocking or surprising. It’s not like tons of families don’t have someone with “issues.”

  19. Blue says:

    To me it sounds like they want to help him. He rejected their help. Maybe he took their offer the same way some of you think, that they want him to lose weight first. I read it as they want him to lose weight, get health and have somewhere to live. There might be a mental health problem and they don’t know how to help him or how to handle it. Hopefully they keep offering him help and eventually he will take it.

  20. jenjen says:

    Don’t know why some posters are “horrified” that the initial response from some is for this guy to GET A JOB!!! one in four people suffers from mental illness, does that mean one in four people can’t work cos they’re depressed. hell i’m depreseeed at work all the time, but still show up so i can get a pay check. it’s called being a grown up and responsible for yourself…. story is sad, but only because people are sympathizing with a grown ass adult still acting like a dam child

  21. Eve says:

    Whether he’s refused help or not, it’s a sad story anyway.

  22. anne_000 says:

    if they want to help jess, then it should be unconditional.

    i’m sure they can deposit money into his bank acct w/o expecting him to work, go to the gym, lose weight, etc, since it sounds like jess has mental problems that would hinder him from doing these things. it sounds like they want to force him to live a ‘normal’ life which he himself knows he wont be able to handle.

    obviously, he knows how to live on what little money he had. also, it doesnt sound like he’s blown his money by being a druggie or alcoholic.

    i have a feeling he did ask for money previously, but that it came with a lot of conditions that he couldnt handle, so he gave up asking for help, imo.

  23. Ron says:

    The whole story is missing here. There is nothing that talks about his mental health and it doesn’t seem there are conditions attached helping him, but sometimes there needs to be. If he is going to take the money from the family and do drugs or other things that are not healthy, or perhaps he’s mentally unstable and they want to get him into a facility for help, maybe that’s why they aren’t just depositing money into an account for him. Also, you need to want to be helped. There was a girl my Mom went to High School with who’s parents were both Doctors, and she ended up homeless. They brought her home countless times, only for her to leave and run back to the street life where she eventually died. So it happens even in the best of situations.

  24. Bopa says:

    I had an uncle who was homeless and after all of his siblings tried to help him all he wanted to do was live off of others and vegetate. You can only do so much. He ended up dying of a heart attack while living on the streets. A lot of these people would probably be in mental hospitals but they aren’t really accepting people anymore unless they’re a threat to society.

  25. GoofPuff says:

    Uh you should never just give money to a family member unconditionally if they have problems. That’s just enabling their illness and making it WORSE. They had every right to put conditions on it such as seek help and get healthy.

  26. anne_000 says:

    the money he had was given to him unconditionally in the first place, and he seemed to have lived on it just fine. he didnt allow himself to go homeless when he had money. and he took good enough care of that truck that it lasted since 1981 (30 yrs).

    and if that money were double what it was, he might have been able to live another 16 yrs on it without any of us hearing about him.

  27. Turtle Dove says:

    NO sympathy.

    Get a job.

    Stop expecting family to support you.

  28. Narsa says:

    Anne_000 : nicely put I agree with you

  29. Ashley says:

    I feel like we’re not being told the whole story. And call me a cynic but I think they might be helpful now because the story came out. Unless they never talk to him, how could they not know he’s living at shelters, and in his car?

  30. Apple says:

    he got used to being lazy watching tv all day and reading comic books. His mom died at 24 a lot of people lose a parent as a child and don’t stop living and go on and have fruitful lives.

    Honestly trutst funds can be the worse thing for a person.

    I diagnosis him with the lazyitis.

  31. Shy says:

    Seriously? That man had a 6 figure paycheck left for him. It’s like $100 000 minimum. Maybe it was even $200 000 or $400 000. That man doesn’t work. Not because he can’t find a job. But because he doesn’t want to. He lived on those money before they run out. All he did was eating like pig and sleeping all day….

    And now you wan’t me to feel sorry for him? And then there is all that: “But he has rich brother and father. They should give him money every month so that he would east himself to death and do nothing. Those evil celebrities. They don’t have a heart”. Please… So many people lose job and are homeless. Because they can’t find the job. But this idiot spent all those money and now when his family tells him: “I will find you a good job” and he is like: “No thanks. I’m, too lazy. I don’t want to work. I’ll rather be homeless”.

    As I understand he was 24 when his mother died. And HE NEVER WORKED SINCE. He probably never worked before too. And I should feel sorry for that person? He likes to read comics and watch videos… Bitch how old you are? Of course he doesn’t want to work. He probably can’t do anything since he never worked. And you know to work you need to get up every day and go to work and sit there all day. That’s too much. All he want’s from his family is that they would give him paycheck every month so that he would do nothing and eat all day. Josh needs to work his ass out in movies, premiers. promotions and then give those money to his lazy brother. Because that one it too lazy to work.

  32. Colleen says:

    Narsa, I’m sure this short synopsis doesn’t tell the whole story and I’m sure the family has also tried the steps you outlined. It’s not fair to judge them without knowing the facts.

    This man is lucky because he has a safety net and can fall back on a rich family if he choses. He also had 16 years where he could have worked on his mental illness without having to deal with a job or paying rent. I have a friend with depression and other issues and he works hard with friends, with his therapist, to stay level, works very hard at school and always juggling lots of side projects, but usually feels like he is not doing enough. The truth is this man is lazy and had plenty of time to deal with his issues or develop a skill set.

    My brother is similar and is mooching of my elderly parents and living in their small condo. The stress he has put them under in the last years likely contributed to my dads heart problems as they have to worry about him and how his irresponsible parenting affects their grandchildren. He is spoiling their golden years.

    Sorry to ramble but people like this need to grow up and take responsibility for how their immaturity affects their family as well. They are not just the victim but are acting selfishly.

  33. Scott says:

    This is a sad story. Nobody knows Jess or the family dynamic. It sounds as though Jess has mental and physical health issues. He was probably scarred by his Moms death and has most likely been considered an embarrassment by his brother and father for some time now. He lived quietly for a long time on an inheritance without bothering his family or doing drugs. He is in financial trouble now and is having a hard time finding work. He has worked in the past and is willing to work. I am sure his brother and father needed a helping hand at some point in their lives. They could at least meet him half way.It is not okay to throw away family members because they are not what you hoped they could be. The Brolin family needs to reach out and have open and honest discussions on best way to help Jess. Maybe it would help if they went without food and shelter for a week to get an idea what his life is like. I am sure he needs medical and emotional help more than money. Try extending love to him and stop worrying about your image.

  34. Bob says:

    As usuall, the tabliods does not say the whole story and does not talk about the person who talked. The person who talked could be mental or just doesn’t know what he is talking about. And of course the family is going to say they want to help, they are now put on the spot, so they are going to cover themselves. Does not talk about if he worked or not. Does not talk if he really has problems or not. Does not talk about his side of the story or people backing him up. As for the truck, seem like he wants to keep a piece of his moms memory. And if it is only $100,000, 16 years is a long time. Thought is below poverty leave; which it sounds like he was working. Some people do go homeless with working. People are loosing their jobs right now cause of downsizing. Hard to make an honest opinion without knowing who is talking and if the person talking is just looking for a buck themselves. Know the source, know the facts, check the facts. As another person said, we’ve never heard of this guy untill now.

  35. A R says:

    To all – You don’t know Jess. The reporter doesn’t know Jess. This piece of crap that they call ‘journalism’ is invasive and spouting out and out lies. To the people who commented about his ‘blowing’ a trust fund, again, you have NO IDEA what you’re talking about. Honestly. No idea. Not even the tiniest inkling. At all. (Have I made that clear enough for you?) He’s a kind guy. He’s an HONEST guy. He doesn’t deserve this. Not in the least. Every single person out there taking advantage of him for their own sick sense of entertainment (and the jerk ‘reporter’ who filed this POS story) needs to take a BIG step back and examine their own motivations.

  36. halogirl says:

    I have known Jess for over 20 years, he’s fine. He’s not some vagrant, he’s had a variety of jobs, some in the entertainment business some not. Jess is a great guy, with a dry sense of humor that I personally appreciate. This article is ridiculous!!!

  37. HaplessB says:

    Jess is a great guy, a really great guy. What is beyond my comprehension is WHY do any of you CARE? He’s not a “celebrity”, whether his last name may come with that, obviously he chose not to be in the lime light. Can anyone imagine how bad this would feel if, out of no where, someone gossiped about your life and it appeared all over the internet as *fact? Think about these things before you decide to start spouting off about “mental illness”, “laziness”, etc when you have NO IDEA what you’re talking about.

  38. Bob says:

    Where is the other article in this? The “Follow Up Story”. The story that contradicks pretty much everything this “Writer” says. Check your facts….

  39. me says:

    There is so little honest understanding in these comments. To know more about mental illness and depression, even if you do have some experience with it, read “The Noonday Demon” by Andrew Solomon. It is an excellent comprehensive yet accessible book by a well-educated person who has struggled with depression and researched from so many angles and disciplines. It is aptly subtitled “An Atlas of Depression”.

  40. catlady says:

    I know Jess. He is a good person who is right now desperately looking for work in a very tight job market. Obviously his mother was the only family member who loved him. If his hypocritical brother or father wanted to help him, why didn’t one of them take over Jess’s $850 apt. rent after May 2011? They have probably lied to the media about caring about him only to protect their public images.

  41. Angie says:

    WHERE IS EVERYONE GETTING THESE REDICULOUS INFORMATION AND/OR ASSUMPTIONS? THE PUBLIC HAS NO REAL KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR LIVES AT ALL AND ARE MAKING JUDGEMENTAL COMMENTS BASED ON INFO THAT THE MEDIA HAS PROVIDED….AND THAT’S JUST PLAIN IDIOTIC!! THE MEDIA LIES ALL THE TIME, JUST SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE DUMB CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OTHERS AND HAVEN’T A CLUE AS TO WHAT THE ACTUAL TRUTH IS. IT’S NO ONES BUSINESS EXCEPT HE AND HIS FAMILIES…EVERYONE JUST NEEDS TO MIND THEIR OWN AND STOP ASSUMING THAT THEY KNOW WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES, BECAUSE THE ONLY ONES THAT “REALLY” KNOW ARE THEM! STOP WITH THE GOSSIP! IT’S PATHETIC! THIS IS WHY I WOULDN’T WANT TO BE FAMOUS…EVER! I COULD NEVER BE PAID ENOUGH MONEY IN THE WORLD, IF IT MEANT DEALING WITH THIS CRAP DAY IN AND DAY OUT…MAYBE THAT’S WHY THE GUY HAS WITHDRAWN…THAT LIFE SUCKS!