Drew Barrymore Says Rehab at 14 Was ‘Best Thing That Ever Happened’

Drew Barrymore is looking back on her teen years with zero regrets.

“I also was someone who got taken away and put in a place for two years,” Barrymore told Mae Martin on the Friday, October 24, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show regarding her experience as a teen in a drug rehab facility, adding that getting help was “the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I did not know that. I mean, I know that you were a wayward teen — as was I, and I was in rehab and stuff — but I didn’t know that you were at one of those places,” Martin, 38, responded.

The star of Wayward, a movie centered around two teens who attend a school for troubled youth, shared that the film is partly inspired by Martin’s childhood friend Nicole, who lived in a similar program.

Barrymore told Martin, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, that her portrayal of such an institution is very accurate.

“I didn’t know that about you, but watching the show there was way too much accuracy,” she said. “It was too real for me in that element where I knew there was no way you weren’t telling an authentic perspective.”

Martin agreed, adding that now as an adult, they feel “so protective” of young people who may be experiencing similar difficulties.

“And I don’t know about you, but now, as an adult, I feel so protective of young people and having had that experience of being pathologized at a very young age for things that are just kind of… yeah, I think that all went into it,” they said.

The duo also agreed that watching the series is not a heavy or depressing experience, despite its subject matter. Barrymore also noted that she experienced something of a breakdown when she turned 40, but added that things are much better now.

“We pull ourselves up, hopefully, and we find people that encourage us to tell the truth and to finally have the opposite of shame, which is what comes with any type of erratic behavior or society telling you ‘that’s not appropriate at this age’ or ‘what you’re doing is out of control,” she said. ”That is shame. And when you live with shame, it is crippling.”

Barrymore added that despite what some may assume, she found “lightness” during her time in rehab.

“I know that sounds wild, but it was encouragement to say your truths, to be brave, to find humor and heroism in your journey,” she said. “And it’s the best thing that ever happened to me, honestly. And I hold a lot of it sacrosanct, but it wasn’t easy. It was hard as hell and I found that the tone that you brought to the show was true to a life experience when you gotta be broken and get fixed.”

Barrymore has been candid about her troubled past before, reflecting on her lived experiences while speaking exclusively to Us in February 2025.

“My mom had a very colorful cast of characters coming through,” she recalled. “It wasn’t as safe as it should have been — but when I was younger, it was more whimsical. Not feeling like I had a childhood has nothing to do with feeling robbed of [one]. It just wasn’t your garden-variety youthful childhood, but I never feel upset about that.”

The 50 First Dates star began using substances like alcohol and cocaine at ages 9 and 12.

Related: Drew Barrymore and Dermot Mulroney Cry During ‘Bad Girls’ Reunion

Drew Barrymore and Dermot Mulroney had a tearful reunion years after their 1994 film Bad Girls. When Barrymore, 48, was joined by former costars Andie MacDowell and Mary Stuart on the set of The Drew Barrymore Show during the Thursday, January 25, episode, she was then informed that there was another surprise guest. “Oh, another? […]

“The whole concept of ‘no’ made me really rebellious,” she added. “As if it didn’t apply to me. ‘No’ made me angry, but it turns out ‘no’ is essential and has incredible benefits. It can make you feel a lot more safe and cared for, even if you hate it at the time. It means someone or something is holding you.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).