Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has spoken about entering a rehabilitation facility at 14 years old, where she was treated for nearly two years, and tagged it as the “best thing that ever happened” to her. Barrymore spoke about her experience in rehab during a conversation with Mae Martin on The Drew Barrymore Show, reports people.com.
Martin, created, co-wrote and stars in Wayward, a Netflix mystery series that follows a local police officer's investigation into a local school for troubled teens in an isolated small town. The show is loosely based on Martin's own experiences, as they recalled on Barrymore's daytime talk show that their childhood friend had entered a similar facility for two years during their teen years.
After Martin, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, discussed their childhood friend's experience, Barrymore detailed her own time in rehab. "I also was someone who got taken away and put in a place for two years," Barrymore said.
"I did not know that. I mean, I knew that you were a wayward teen, as was I. I was in rehab and stuff, but I didn't know that you were at one of those places," Martin replied. Barrymore complimented the nuanced nature of the show's exploration of the troubled teen industry.
"I had a lot of lightness in my experience in the institution. It's a lot of what this show is. I know that sounds wild, but it was like encouragement to say your truth, to be brave, to find humor and heroism in your journey.
And it's the best thing that ever happened to me, honestly. And I hold a lot of that sacrosanct. But it wasn't easy. It was hard as hell,” Barrymore said. Martin said they were 16 when they entered their respective treatment facility.
“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,” Martin said. Wayward is streaming now on Netflix.