Drew Barrymore lashed out at tabloids for twisting her words and spreading harmful information by claiming she wished her mother, Jaid Barrymore, was dead.
The actor, who’s been headlining tabloids since she was a child, has had enough and delivered a stern warning about twisting her words, saying: “you’ve been f—ing with my life since I was 13 years old.”
Keep reading to find out why Barrymore had to defend herself!
When Drew Barrymore only 7, her career exploded after she appeared as the adorable pig-tailed girl in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film E.T: Extra Terrestrial (1982).
Reaching that height of celebrity is tricky for adults but for a fragile child — who made a friend of the E.T. puppet when the cameras were off — it was dangerous… especially without a disciplinarian adult.
Barrymore’s mother, Jaid, was like a friend to her young daughter, who according to reports would take her child to industry parties, Studio 54 and other nightclubs.
The Charlie’s Angels star, who’s now 48, recounts in her 1990 memoir Little Girl Lost (written with Todd Gold), that she was 8 when she had her first glass of champagne at the Firestarter wrap party, 9 when she had her first beer at Rob Lowe’s 20th birthday party (that also included a make out session with his 12-year-old stepbrother) and 12 when she started doing cocaine.
Over the next couple of years, Barrymore was forced into rehab by her mom, who also frequently pulled her out for filming.
“Kids love feeling safe, and having boundaries is one of those crucial bumper rails,” Barrymore writes in her blog, referring to the rehab center. “I lived a boundaryless life and job. And this place, as hellacious as it was, it was exactly what I needed from the too much excess my life had become on the outside.”
And when she was 14, she legally emancipated herself, revealing recently: “I forgive my mom. I forgive my dad. I’ve never forgiven myself, but I’d like to and I’m ready to,” because “When I got emancipated by the courts at 14 years old, the umbilical cord was severed, and I have not been the same since.”
In Barrymore’s interview with Vulture, the mother of two described the complicated history she shared with her own mom. She also spoke about her peers and their mothers, and then acknowledged that she was still working on her relationship with Jaid, now 77.
“All their moms are gone, and my mom’s not,” she said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t have that luxury.’ But I cannot wait. I don’t want to live in a state where I wish someone to be gone sooner than they’re meant to be so I can grow.”
She then explained the mixed feelings she’s had towards her mom and added, “I actually want her to be happy and thrive and be healthy. But I have to f—ing grow in spite of her being on this planet.”
Vulture writes: “An hour after the words leave her mouth, she already regrets suggesting any ill will toward her mom. ‘I dared to say it, and I didn’t feel good,’ she says. ‘I do care. I’ll never not care. I don’t know if I’ve ever known how to fully guard, close off, not feel, build the wall up.’”
Tabloids grabbed the opportunity and started publishing stories, sensationalizing what she said about her mom, provoking her warning on Instagram.
“To all those tabloids out there, you’ve been f—ing with my life since I was 13 years old,” the 50 First Dates said in her video. “I have never said that I wished my mother was dead. How dare you put those words in my mouth.”
She further clarified: “I have been vulnerable and tried to figure out a very difficult, painful relationship, while admitting it is difficult to do while a parent is alive. And, for those of us who have to figure that out in real time cannot wait, as in they cannot wait for the time, not that the parent is dead.”
Barrymore, who hosts her own talk show, then said, “Don’t twist my words around or ever say that I wish my mother was dead. I have never said that. I never would.” She signed off by adding that she wishes to “never have to live an existence where I would wish that on someone because that is sick.”
Celebrity friends, many who have been the target of tabloids, jumped in with praise for defending herself.
“You’re brave and real and I adore you xxx,” Jennfier Garner wrote, while Michelle Pfeiffer added, “Thank you for taking this on. I saw that and knew you didnt say it.”
Padma Lakshmi, former host of Top Chef, also chimed in with: “Ugh. So sorry. We all knew what you meant. Thank you for your vulnerability always.”
READ MORE
- Steven Spielberg remembers heartbreaking question Drew Barrymore asked him on ‘E.T.’ set
- Drew Barrymore reunites with on-screen mom Dee Wallace ahead of E.T.’s 40th anniversary
Congratulations for standing your ground! We really feel for Drew Barrymore. She’s been targeted for so long and despite her incredible successes, there’s always one tiny bit of information to pull and spin doctor. We think she’s an awesome talent and we are so happy to see how she’s risen above her childhood problems.
How did you interpret what she said in her interview? Please share this story with your thoughts!
