Drew Barrymore is sharing insights from her challenging childhood, revealing her experience with drugs at the tender age of 10.
In the new Hulu documentary Child Star, Barrymore, along with fellow former child actors like Alyson Stoner, Christina Ricci, and Demi Lovato, reflects on their lives in the limelight. Released on September 17, the film is co-directed by Lovato, who also conducts the interviews.
During a poignant exchange, Lovato asked, “How old were you when you were first given something?” To which Barrymore candidly replied, “I used to get high with my mom’s friend at like, 10,” recalling how she viewed the friend as “so cool” for introducing her to marijuana.
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Now a mother to two girls, Olive, 11, and Frankie, 10, Barrymore reflects on her past choices in a new light. “Having a 10-year-old daughter now, I just… it’s unfathomable,” she admitted. Despite her childhood, Barrymore emphasized personal accountability, stating, “Those were all my actions… I’m very accountable, I don’t blame other people.”
Lovato challenged this perspective, suggesting that the responsibility lies with the adults who provided those substances. “It’s hard to say that you don’t blame other people when other people may have been giving you substances as a kid,” she remarked.
Barrymore also opened up about her parents, noting that her mother left her father due to his dangerous behavior and drug use. Lovato pointed out that Barrymore didn’t choose acting; it was a path she was born into, starting with a commercial at just 11 months old. “I’ve never stopped working since then, except for when I was institutionalized by my mother,” Barrymore revealed.