In a moving conversation on The Drew Barrymore Show, actress and Emmy winner Drew Barrymore opened up about a crucial period in her life: the two years she spent in a rehabilitation center during her teens.

The topic came up during an interview with Mae Martin, creator of the Netflix series Wayward, which specifically addresses the experiences of young people in institutions for troubled teens.

Barrymore emphasized the positive side of her time at the center. “I experienced a lot of lightness in my experience at the institution,” she said, describing it as “an encouragement to tell the truth, be brave, find humor and heroism in your journey.” She went on to say that, “Honestly, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

In a 2023 blog post, Barrymore detailed how, during her time at the facility, she connected with other young people who, like her, “didn’t know where to put their anger and didn’t know how to live their lives anymore without needing to get high or self-destruct.”

A Shared Experience in Youth

The discussion took a personal turn when Barrymore confessed, “I was taken away and locked away in a facility for two years, too.”

The revelation surprised Martin, who responded, “I didn’t know that. I mean, I know you were a disobedient teenager, like me, and I was in rehab and all that, but I didn’t know you were in one of those places.”

Barrymore, who at age 13 was committed to the Van Nuys rehab center for 18 months for drug and alcohol addiction. In previous interviews, the star has addressed this topic, stating that she felt “very alone” and “terrible” during that time.

“It was a very rebellious time. I was running away. I was very, very angry,” she said in a 2015 interview with The Guardian.

Upon watching Wayward, Barrymore instantly recognized the authenticity with which life in such facilities is portrayed. “I didn’t know that about you, but watching the show, there was so much accuracy,” she told Martin.“It was too real for me in that way, where I knew it was impossible not to tell an authentic perspective.”

Both agreed that, despite the harshness of the experience, they managed to move forward. “We made it, I hope,” Martin said, to which Barrymore responded, “We made it!”

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