Rebellious Facts About Drew Barrymore, Hollywood's Comeback Kid
People think they know Drew Barrymore—but oh boy, they have no idea. Not only was her childhood even more messed up than we think, but she’s also kept her more recent struggles under wraps. She may look sunny and well-adjusted from the outside, but Barrymore has gone through hell and back to get there.
1. She’s From An Acting Dynasty
People commonly call Drew part of an "acting dynasty"—but few people know just how intense her lineage is. While her mother, Jaid Barrymore, acts only sporadically, her father John Drew Barrymore and her grandfather John Barrymore Sr were prominent actors; her grandpa was actually one of the greatest talents of his generation. But there is an enormous dark side to her family.
2. She Inherited A Curse
If acting is in Drew Barrymore’s blood, so is the Barrymore curse. Her grandfather John Barrymore was a frighteningly committed alcoholic, and passed at the age of 60 from cirrhosis. Her father, however, was somehow worse.
In fact, Drew’s first memory of her dad was him shoving her into a wall to get at a bottle he wanted to drink.
It was enough to mess anyone up…but more was on the way.
3. Her Mother Was Ill-Equipped
By the time Drew was born in 1975, her father had already up and left the family, leaving her mother Jaid to raise her on her own while he floated in and out of his daughter's life for the next three decades. Then the problems really started. Jaid, who had spent her formative years in a displaced persons camp for WWII refugees, didn’t know—or want to know—how to properly care for a child.
It was the beginning of a very dark path.
4. She Was A Star Before She Turned One
Everyone knows that child stardom is one of the worst things you could do to your kid…but Drew Barrymore’s mother apparently didn’t get the memo. When Drew was only 11 months old, her mother put her up for a dog-food commercial.
Disturbingly, the little girl ended up booking the job because when the dog bit her, she only laughed.
Unfortunately, Barrymore soon learned how to laugh off all kinds of pain.
