In a recent issue of AARP The Magazine, 49-year-old Drew Barrymore reflected on her divorce from art consultant Will Kopelman after four years of marriage. The couple decided to separate in 2016, by which time they had two young daughters. The TV host explained that she knew the difficult decision was necessary to become a better mother for their daughters, Olive, now 12, and Frankie, 10.
“My dream of the perfect family was shattered, and I didn’t know how to move forward,” Barrymore recalled. “I grew up so quickly, but at the time, I didn’t know how to act—I just knew that my life was hard, painful, and sad, and I stayed in that place for a while. Eventually, thank God, I made it out. I had two kids, and I had to figure it out.”
Kopelman remarried in August 2021 to Alexandra Michler, while Barrymore and he managed to maintain a positive, friendly relationship.
“We have an amazing family story that shows life goes on. Ellie is my favorite person. I love her. I like that we are all together,” Barrymore said in December 2022 about her ex-husband’s new wife.
Although Barrymore shared with the magazine that her daughters encourage her to date, she emphasized that finding a new partner isn’t her top priority right now.
“My girls say I should date, but I also know how I felt when I was little, when there were men around—I didn’t feel safe,” Barrymore explained. “So, I’m probably overly cautious because of that experience.”
Instead, Barrymore is focused on being an “idea-driven mom”: she gave up her acting career to devote herself to motherhood.
“I was just over 40, and I hadn’t learned how to be the mom I dreamt of being,” she shared with AARP. “And the long hours I would have spent making movies were hours I could spend with my kids,” Barrymore concluded.