By Isabella Torregiani
4:42pm PST, Feb 24, 2026
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Barbra Streisand praised Alysa Liu for winning the gold medal in the women's singles figure skating event at the Winter Olympics, making her the first American woman in 24 years to claim the title.
In her post, Streisand celebrated Liu's achievement and described a personal connection she felt with the skater.
"We were so happy to see Alysa Liu win the gold medal in Milan yesterday," Streisand wrote. "My husband just showed me that in 2019 she skated to my song 'Don't Rain on My Parade.' I'm so proud of her."
Streisand then bizarrely added of Liu, "I heard that she is half Chinese."
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Barbra Streisand went on to share a memory of a Chinese family who lived above her childhood home in Brooklyn, recounting how she helped in their restaurant and babysat their children.
"My second family in Brooklyn that lived above us was a Chinese family called the Choys. I worked in their Chinese restaurant since I was 12 years old and also babysat for their children," she wrote, adding that the Choy family matriarch "was like a second mother to me."
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Barbra Streisand's caption quickly became a point of contention, with some fans claiming it was awkward and off-topic.
One commenter wrote, "Girl, this caption was a wild ride," while another added, "This is such a stupid post. 'Oh, I heard Alysa Liu is half Chinese so let me tell you about this Chinese family I know' WTH?"
Several suggested that Streisand was making the figure skater's win about herself, with one comment reading, "'How do I make her gold medal winning accomplishment by an Asian woman about me?' – Barbra probably."
One person quipped, "'I heard she is half Chinese' took me out," while another joked, "Heard she's Chinese, posts pic of Chinese people she knows – incredible."
