Drew Barrymore Talks About How Crippling And Difficult It Was To Get Through Her Divorce From Will Kopelman

Growing up in Hollywood, celebrities like Drew Barrymore know and accept that their lives become an open book to everyone—like it or not.

Drew, who has always been generous in sharing her life, even the personal stuff, has recently opened up about the crippling difficulty she experienced during her divorce from ex-husband Will Kopelman.

Unknown to many, it was affecting her not just emotionally and psychologically but also physically.

Drew developed a drinking problem after the divorce. In an interview last week, the 47-year-old candidly shared the ups and downs of her personal life.

Drew married Will, an art advisor, in 2012, and their marriage lasted until 2016. Drew only described the years following the separation as very difficult.

The ex-couple share two children, 10-year-old Olive and 8-year-old Frankie. And the Poison Ivy star, in the bid to be closer to her ex-husband’s family, even left her native California home to move to New York.

Drew admitted that after the first winter of the downfall of their marriage, she was utterly broken while on the East Coast, which led her to develop a closer relationship with liquor. Drew stated that she was looking for something—an outlet or a reprieve from the pain—and that alcohol undoubtedly numbed her during this time.

She explained, “The drinking thing for me was a constant, like, you cannot change. You are weak and incapable of doing what’s best for you. You keep thinking you will master this thing, and it’s getting the better of you.”

Drew, who came from Hollywood royalty, battled addiction when she was just a teen. She was able to beat it and continue a stronger career, but her alcohol dependence was a familiar yet entirely different feeling this time.

The Never Been Kissed star said that after the life that she planned for her kids failed, it was harder for her than it was when she was a kid. This was because, this time, it was just not her that was affected, and the whole situation seemed more real than before.

The mother of two was concerned about her kids, and she realized she was giving too much to them but was not taking care of herself in the entire process. Drew stated that life after her divorce was an excruciating, messy, and painful walk through the fire.

The good thing was that Drew found motivation aside from her kids to change and get her life back on track. She sought therapy, and then her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, came about, which gave her a new purpose and focus aside from the children.

The actress shared that her show made her hopeful and that she has something to believe in.

In 2021, her ex-husband and Alexandra Michler, a Vogue fashion editor, got married, and Drew was surprised at how happy she became with the setup of their blended family. She’s thankful for their current family dynamics and admitted that Alexandra or Allie had become her favorite person.

Drew gushed about how pleased and proud she was that they could give a real-life example to the children about their parents moving on, rebuilding another life, and being happy.