Drew Barrymore Hints Her Infamous Addictions Could Have Killed Her in Youth By Declaring Ahead of Milestone Birthday She Never Thought She'd Make it to 50
Drew Barrymore was doing drugs and alcohol as a preteen.
Feb. 13 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Drew Barrymore found herself drinking alcohol and doing drugs before the age of 13 – a move the actress has admitted could have killed her.
As the movie star's 50th birthday approaches, Barrymore is grateful she's still alive following her dark – and much-talked about – childhood, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Barrymore opened up about how dark her childhood was at times.
Barrymore was raised by her single mom, Jaid, who thrusted her into the spotlight at an early age.
"I don’t think of it as the magic of childhood,” she said in an interview with Us Weekly. “I don’t think I know what childhood is like, and I think that’s what made me so nervous when I became a parent.”
Barrymore shares kids Olive, 12, and Frankie, 10, with her ex-husband, Will Kopelman.
The E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial star – who was just seven years old when she appeared in the famous alien film – also confessed she was surrounded by plenty of people she shouldn't have been around due to finding fame at a young age.
The actress did drugs and alcohol before the age of 13.
“My mom had a very colorful cast of characters coming through,” Barrymore said.
She continued: “It wasn’t as safe as it should have been – but when I was younger, it was more whimsical. Not feeling like I had a childhood has nothing to do with feeling robbed of [one]. It just wasn’t your garden-variety youthful childhood, but I never feel upset about that."
According to Barrymore, she started going to clubs at the age of seven, drinking alcohol at nine, and even using cocaine at 12.
"The whole concept of ‘no’ made me really rebellious,” she confessed.
The movie star quit drinking in her 40s, and admitted alcohol was 'poison for me.'
Barrymore continued: "As if it didn’t apply to me. ‘No’ made me angry, but it turns out ‘no’ is essential and has incredible benefits. It can make you feel a lot more safe and and cared for, even if you hate it at the time. It means someone or something is holding you.”
It was Barrymore entering her 40s that she made the decision to stop drinking.
She recalled of quitting at age 44: “I had to stop. I just don’t drink. That is poison for me. And when I stopped, there was so much work to do. For me, it was like, if I get rid of this, the real work can start.”
The Hollywood star admitted she's lucky she's still around to celebrate her 50th birthday.
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Nearly five years after, Barrymore is seeing the positive impact of her decision: “Where I found myself was a place where I’ve never been so upset.
"I’ve never been that down on myself. And it was a real wake-up call that this is no way to live. Things happen. You can get through them. Please do not be so lost and mean to yourself that you don’t know your way up."
"The revelation in the early 40s was not about alcohol or divorce. It was like, it’s f*****g game time to get my s*** together and be the most solid person I can be," she added.
The Charlie's Angels notable now realizes how lucky she truly is still being alive after her rollercoaster journey.
She told the outlet: “I don’t think I’ve ever known a happiness that I feel now, and I just didn’t know I would ever get here.”
