Actress and talk-show host Drew Barrymore has spoken candidly about the emotional weight of divorce, telling an audience member on her show that moving on took her far longer than she expected. The remarks, shared in a video clip, have resonated widely with viewers navigating their own post-marriage recoveries.

What Barrymore Said on Stage

In the clip, Barrymore addressed an audience member who had been married for 21 years. 'Divorce took me years to get over. I know that's probably the worst thing I could tell you,' she said, acknowledging the uncomfortable honesty of her admission.

She went on to frame the experience as an opportunity for self-rediscovery, urging the guest — and by extension, her broader audience — to stop internalising blame. 'Not only do we put everybody first, but then everything that went wrong is our fault,' she said.

The Therapist Who Changed Her Perspective

Barrymore credited her therapist, Barry Michaels, with helping her shift her mindset. 'The great Barry Michaels, who is my therapist — and I don't even think that title is appropriate because he's just so much more than that,' she said. She revealed that Michaels had recently advised her to 'turn self-loathing into self-love,' a phrase she said she had written down on a card.

The caption accompanying the video read: 'Drew talks to an audience member about the challenge of moving on after divorce.'

Her Personal Experience With Marriage

Barrymore has been married three times — first to Jeremy Thomas, then to actor and comedian Tom Green, and most recently to art consultant Will Kopelman. Her willingness to discuss these experiences publicly has become a hallmark of her talk-show format, where personal vulnerability is often central to the conversation.

A Career Built on Resilience

Barrymore first captured global attention as a child star in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, and went on to build one of Hollywood's most durable careers across genres. Her credits span Firestarter, Scream, Ever After, Never Been Kissed, Charlie's Angels, and a celebrated comedic partnership with Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, and Blended.

She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Film for her portrayal of Edith Bouvier Beale in Grey Gardens, and made her directorial debut with Whip It in 2009. Her accolades also include an Emmy Award and an Actor Award.

Barrymore's openness about her personal struggles — from a turbulent childhood to the pain of divorce — continues to define her public persona as one built on earned, rather than curated, authenticity.