Drew Barrymore Agrees Her Mom ‘Exploited’ Her, but Her Dad ‘Was Just Unavailable’

Drew Barrymore grew up in the spotlight. She found herself in Hollywood thanks to a family legacy — her dad was actor John Drew Barrymore, while her grandparents, John Barrymore and Dolores Costello, were prominent stage and screen performers. But the E.T. star’s relationships with her parents were less than positive. Learn how she describes them.

Drew Barrymore rose to prominence at just 5 years old

Despite her famous folks, Barrymore doesn’t exactly look back on her childhood with fondness. According to Us Weekly, she said that she “didn’t really have parents” calling this “a detriment to [her] youth.”

Before she was even a teenager, Barrymore began spending time at clubs. She famously went to Studio 54 with her mom, Jaid, becoming exposed to drugs and alcohol early on. The star went to rehab at 12 years old.

Barrymore was treated for her drug and alcohol addiction as a young teenager. According to Distractify, it was at a psychiatric institution that she had the time to “sort her life out,” and the doctors there suggested that she seek legal separation from her mother. That’s exactly what Barrymore did. She was declared an adult at age 14.

What did Drew Barrymore have to say about her mom and dad?

Now that all these years have passed, what does Barrymore have to say about each of her parents? Speaking to The Guardian in 2015, the actor spoke about how her childhood affected her. When asked if she felt “exploited by [her] parents,” she quickly responded “No,” before rethinking this.

“Yeah, I think my mother with my mother it was definitely too out there,” the Scream star said. But my dad, no, he was just unavailable.” However, Barrymore has expressed she’s found a father figure in director Steven Spielberg. He even became her godfather, at her request. “He has always inspired me to be my best,” she shared.

Now that the former child star is a mom of two, she never worried about what she would be like as a parent. “I knew I would not repeat the mistakes of my parents,” Barrymore said. “I knew I would never do that to a kid. I wouldn’t not be there, or put them in too-adult circumstances. I knew I’d be very traditional, or I would not do it. I would never have had children unless I was incredibly stable, and willing to put them first.”

What was Drew Barrymore’s relationship with her mom and dad after her emancipation?

Despite her emancipation, Drew Barrymore managed to make amends with both her parents, reveals Hello! Her dad died in 2004, but before that, she paid his medical bills and helped take care of him at the end of his life.

People reports that the 50 First Dates star has also since been able to find a healthy relationship with her mom. She says that the pair have “established a lot of boundaries” in the years since she’s grown up and welcomed her back into her life.