The Cryptic Advice Judy Garland Gave Barbra Streisand: “Don’t Let Them Do to You What They Did to Me”

Judy Garland is one of the most important figures when it comes to the mass commercialization of music and movies. Notably, she helped fuel the fire with her role as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz in 1939. Given that Garland was one of the first bona fide movie stars and celebrities, she was seemingly a bit of a guinea pig for massive fame. Unfortunately, that position led to a lot of hardship, as Garland struggled with addiction, financial issues, and marital problems. Consequently, she gave singer Barbra Streisand some parting advice before she passed away in 1969.

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Judy Garland first met Barbra Streisand when she was 41 years old, Streisand was only 20, and the next big thing in show business. However, that didn’t stop Garland from embracing her with open arms. As a matter of fact, Garland actually invited Streisand to perform on an episode of her show. Regardless, the two shared a type of mentor-mentee relationship, which lasted up until Garland’s tragic passing.

Judy Garland Wanted To Warn Barbra Streisand

In the mid and late 60s, Streisand was taking over the world of music and movies. As stated, she was only 20 years old. Hence, she needed someone to warn her about the nuanced complexities and injustices embedded in the world of show business. Well, Judy Garland did just that, as she gave the young Barbra Streisand a chilling yet valuable piece of advice.

In a piece with the New York Times, Streisand divulged what that piece of advice was. In her brief story, she stated that Garland “used to visit me and give me advice.”

“She came to my apartment in New York, and she said to me, ‘Don’t let them do to you what they did to me,’” Streisand said. “I didn’t know what she meant then. I was just getting started.”

Garland’s message to Streisand was incredibly cryptic. Though, surely Garland was alluding to the individuals who drove her past her bandwidth for their own personal profit. While the message comes across as a bit frightening, it surely served a great purpose in the career of Barbra Streisand, even if she didn’t realize what Judy Garland was talking about at the time.

Nevertheless, as one of the first ever movie and music stars, Garland fulfilled her purpose to warn and protect the younger generation from the nefarious and unjust practices in the world of show business.

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