Drew Barrymore Reveals How Her Talk Show Helped Her Overcome Alcohol Addiction: ‘This Really Hit Me’
Drew Barrymore revealed that her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, helped her overcome her alcohol addiction. She started drinking in childhood and experienced a relapse after her 2016 divorce. But when the opportunity to host her talk show presented itself in 2019, she knew she needed to be in a “clear place.”
Drew Barrymore started drinking alcohol in her childhood
Barrymore has been candid about her childhood alcohol and drug use, revealing she was exposed at a tender age. She was given a choice to go to school or go out partying. By age 11, she was a self-proclaimed “party girl” who would go out five nights a week (The Sun). By 12, she had moved on to using cocaine.
Eventually, those choices impacted her film career, even though she was just a child. She explained, “They just wrote me off as damaged goods, and I, sadly, understood that.”
Following institutionalization and emancipation as a teenager, after which she lived with David Crosby, Barrymore worked in a coffee shop. At the same time, she tried to establish an acting career as an adult. She eventually did that with help from her friend, Adam Sandler, and their classic romantic comedy, The Wedding Singer.
Drew Barrymore relapsed into alcohol addiction after her 2016 divorce
Barrymore revealed she experienced a relapse following her 2016 divorce from Will Kopelman, the father of her two daughters. She felt like she failed, became depressed, and started drinking again (The Los Angeles Times).
The offer to host a talk show was a chance she felt she needed to approach from a sober place. So, she stopped drinking in 2019. “I think the opportunity at a show like this really hit me,” she explained. “I was like, ‘I can’t handle this unless I’m in a really clear place.'”
After spending months at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrymore reemerged and jumped into hostingThe Drew Barrymore Show. She explained in her book Rebel Homemaker that she juggled Zoom calls to get the show launched while helping her two daughters with school-from-home. Not to mention all the other responsibilities of working parenthood.
Drew Barrymore didn’t assume any celebrities would want to be on her show
While talking to The Sun in 2020, Barrymore said being “blacklisted at 12” gave her an appreciation for every job. She shared, “I don’t know how I ended up here, but I will never lose sight of how lucky I am.”
“I know what it’s like to lose and work for things and be so lucky and have the opportunities I have and everything in between,” she added. “I don’t think there’s much to hide at this point.”
Barrymore noted that she’s honored that anyone would want to come on The Drew Barrymore Show with her. She explained, “I’m not an assuming person. I’ve been in this industry my whole life, but I’m just as excited to be around people of note as anyone would be.”
According to Barrymore, she “never pretended to be anyone [she’s] not.”
She shared, “I’ve never felt more humble and grateful than I do right now — to be alive, to have two kids that are healthy, to be among this crew and this team, and getting this opportunity.”
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
