Drew Barrymore Reflects on Her Troubled Teen Years

Drew Barrymore is opening up about her tumultuous teenage period.

The star of “50 First Dates” recently shared her experience, revealing she entered rehab exactly at 2:00 p.m. during a conversation with Mae Martin on “The Drew Barrymore Show” this past Friday.

Martin, who uses they/them pronouns, has just launched a new Netflix series titled “Wayward,” featuring Alyvia Alyn Lind, Sidney Topliff, and Toni Collette.

The series revolves around friends at an academy for troubled teenagers, and Martin mentioned that the storyline draws from real-life experiences of friends sent to similar schools for two years.

“I was one of those people taken and held there for two years,” Barrymore, now 50, recounted her 18-month stay at Van Nuys Psychiatric Hospital back in the mid-1980s.

Martin, 38, expressed surprise, saying, “I knew you were a wayward teenager, but I didn’t realize you were in rehab.”

After they connected over their shared histories, the “Never Been Kissed” star praised Martin’s portrayal of rehab life in “Wayward.” She remarked, “The show was so accurate that I had to share my authentic perspective.” 

Barrymore also cautioned viewers who haven’t faced significant challenges yet; they’re likely to encounter hardships eventually, saying, “It’s going to happen someday, in some form.”

Reflecting on her past, she admitted to facing another difficult period around the age of 40, something she previously discussed on her show. “I thought I hit rock bottom at 14, but I think I reached it at 40 too,” she added.

Despite the struggles of her youth and recent years, Barrymore has managed to steer her life back on course. “We need to find people who uplift us and encourage us to express our truths without shame,” she advised, stating that living with shame is truly distressing.

Discussing her nearly two-year rehabilitation experience at 14, Barrymore mentioned that she discovered “a lot of light” during that time, and her experiences resonated in “Wayward.” “I know this sounds wild, but it inspired me to be brave and find humor in my journey,” she said. “Honestly, it was one of the best things that happened to me.”

“I regard much of it as sacred, though it was certainly challenging,” Barrymore concluded. “The tone of your show was reflective of the tough reality many face when life needs fixing.”

Barrymore has previously disclosed that her mother sent her to rehab for substance abuse issues during her teenage years. She talked about her time at the Van Nuys Psychiatric Hospital and the boundary-less life she led since she gained fame at the age of seven with “E.T.” in 1982, mentioning, “This place, while hellish, provided exactly what I needed when my life felt overwhelming.”