Drew Barrymore Fires Back at Tabloids That Claimed She Wished Her Mother Was Dead

Drew Barrymore is firing back at tabloids that claimed she wished her mother, Jaid Barrymore, was dead. 

Drew recently interviewed Jeannette McCurdy, who published the memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, in which she candidly talked about an abusive parental relationship.

Similarly, in an interview with Brooke Shields, they both discussed their mother’s behaviors while they managed their careers as child actors.

Drew spilled her own emotions during her interview with Vulture, published on June 5, 2023. She said, “All their moms are gone, and my mom’s not. And I’m like, Well, I don’t have that luxury. But I cannot wait. I don’t want to live in a state where I wish someone to be gone sooner than they’re meant to be so I can grow.”

However, the tabloids twisted her words and claimed Drew wished her mother was dead. Taking the matter into her own hands, she shared a video on her Instagram on June 6, 2023.

In the video, the actress clarified her comments from the recent interview with Vulture and expressed her outrage at tabloid publications’ manipulation of her words.

Additionally, Drew vehemently denied ever wishing harm upon her mother and condemned the tabloids for putting those words in her mouth. 

The talk show host remarked, “I have never said that I wished my mother was dead. How dare you put those words in my mouth.”

Drew Barrymore. (Source: drewbarrymore/Instagram)

She emphasized that throughout her vulnerable exploration of their difficult relationship, she had never expressed such sentiments.

She said, “I have been vulnerable, and tried to figure out a very difficult, painful relationship while admitting it is difficult to do while a parent is alive, and that for those of us that have to figure that out in real-time, cannot wait as in they cannot wait for the time. Not that the parent is dead.”

Drew expressed her disgust at the twisted portrayal of her words and made it clear that she would never wish ill upon anyone, as she finds such thoughts sickening.

Exploring Drew Barrymore’s tumultuous relationship with her mother

Drew’s relationship with her mother, Jaid, has been a complex and tumultuous journey, as revealed in a recent interview with Vulture. 

Despite achieving emancipation from her mother and abusive father at the age of 14, Drew admitted that she still deeply cares about her mother. 

Drew Barrymore and her mother, Jaid Barrymore. (Source: Twitter)

The 48-year-old actress continued to support Jaid financially, but she emphasized the need for personal growth, stating, “But I have to [expletive] grow in spite of her being on this planet.”

During the interview, Drew, who gained fame as a child actress, also clarified that she doesn’t have ill will towards her mother and doesn’t wish for negativity in her life. 

Despite the difficulties in their relationship, she has reached out to her mother on special occasions, such as her birthday and Mother’s Day. She is actively working on her relationship with her mother.

In the same interview, Drew also recounted instances of inappropriate behavior by her mother, such as dating her boyfriends, which have contributed to their strained relationship.

Jaid, who operated as her daughter’s manager, treated her as a friend and a client and would go to industry parties, Studio 54, and nightclubs.

As Drew recounted in her 1990 memoir, Little Girl Lost, she revealed she had her first glass of alcohol when she was 8 and started doing coke at 12.

Her mother forced her into rehab, and she was in and out of rehab. Just after 12 days in rehab, Jaid pulled her daughter out from rehab to film Far From Home, which caused a bender – a drinking spree.

After Drew got out of rehab, she lived with David Crosby and his wife and emancipated herself from her mother.