Drew Barrymore was born and brought up in California to acclaimed actor John Drew Barrymore and actress Jaid Barrymore. Her Family was full of actors and actresses. All of her great-grandparents, including Maurice and Georgie Drew Barrymore, Maurice and Mae Costello, and her grandparents, John Barrymore and Dolores Costello, were in show business.
She not only has famous grandparents, but she is also a niece of Diana Barrymore. Another interesting fact is that her godfather is the acclaimed director Stephen Spielberg. Yes, you heard it right. Her godmother is actress Sophia Loren. With such a star-studded family, it was natural for her to follow the path of her ancestors and get into acting. But the road to that was not easy.
She started out acting at a very young age. Her childhood was also filled with drug and Alcohol abuse. She narrated this troubled childhood in her book Little Girl Lost. She gained fame at a very young age. Due to her popularity, she was always in front of the media. Constant exposure to alcohol and LA nightlife made her addicted to these, causing severe mental illness and needing to go to rehab at the age of 13.
Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman Credit: Getty Im
This rehab did not help her, as she was put back into rehab at the age of 14 for attempted suicide. After this event, she stayed with Actor Crosby and his wife for three months. Staying with them helped her to be sober.
Growing up in the limelight and constantly exposing her to these substances made her teenagehood a hell. To make things worse, her life was open to the media, and everything she did was out in the open. It was treated as news that was to be reported, which made her mental illness worse.
Drew Barrymore’s Personal life and Her divorce
Drew Barrymore married his third husband, Will Kopelman, on June 2, 2012. He is an art consultant and the son of Ariel. Kopelman, the former Chanel COO. They started dating in 2011 and announced their engagement in January 2012.
They had a happy marriage and welcomed their first child, Olive, in 2012. Two years later, they welcomed their second child in January, and they named her Frankie. They had a perfect marriage, or so it was thought. Four months after their marriage, they announced their divorce. It was April 2016 when they announced their separation. In July of that year, they filed for divorce, and the divorce was finalized in 2016.
Will Kopelman and Drew Barrymore with their daughters. PHOTO: DREW BARRYMORE/INSTAGRAM
In an interview with People, Drew Barrymore said that the divorce was so difficult for her. It affected not only her but also her kids. The life she planned for her kids did not work out because of her failed marriage. She, of all people, knows the effect of an absent parent on a child’s life.
Drew Barrymore’s Struggle With Alcohol After her Divorce
The divorce was mutual, and there was no drama or scandals, which made the whole process difficult as she was so confused about what actually happened or the reason for it. Drew Barrymore also revealed that she found herself going back to alcohol, the very same thing that destroyed her teenagehood. in alcohol, she found the only solace. Alcohol numbed her pain and made her forget her worries, and it was a temporary way of feeling good.
Drew Barrymore with her daughters. PHOTO: DREW BARRYMORE/INSTAGRAM
The actress eventually got rid of her addiction with the help of her friends and children in 2019. She used alcohol from 2016 to 2019. The actress revealed that her main source of inspiration to be sober was because of her two daughters, Frankie and Olive. She wanted to be there for them and not be an alcoholic mother. Hence she decided to sober up.
But it was not easy. It was messy and painful. Despite her tendency to go back to alcohol, she decided to have more willpower and stay away from it. Her kids were the ones who made it like a game and made this journey easy for her.
