From promoting their latest products, books, and movies to speaking about cherished family memories- celebrities often utilize talk shows as an opportunity to express themselves beyond conventional marketing strategies. Their stories range from holidays spent with loved ones or a captivating experiences that changed them for good.
Recently, The Drew Barrymore Show made a major exception to the norm when actress Drew Barrymore invited celebrities on her show and allowed them to open up about their struggles in an environment that felt safe.
While on CBS This Morning, Barrymore gushed about her recent interview with Machine Gun Kelly. She revealed that she had been wanting to have him as a guest for some time now since he tends not to do many interviews. Much to her delight, the rapper agreed and appeared on her show – initially only intending to promote his new unisex nail polish line. However, what transpired during the conversation was much more than expected!
Kelly confessed to Barrymore that he often feels overwhelmed with the need to seem happy and upbeat for his admirers, even though internally he wasn’t always feeling cheerful. While offering Barrymore a manicure, he explained, “I kind of am sick of smiling on days when I don’t feel like smiling, and I feel like this odd pressure because I don’t want my fans to think that I’m taking something for granted.” He continued, “A lot of what I do is for other people, and I haven’t given myself the time to just accept that it’s ok to not be ok.”
Instead of diverting the conversation to a more joyful topic, Barrymore chose to make an honest confession in response to Kelly’s remark. She confided that her divorce had been extremely taxing on her and she wasn’t doing well. That’s when she decided to fly to “talk to some people about how to pull myself out of a hole. And I had these two kids that I had to fight for and I needed help.”
Following her interview with Kelly on CBS This Morning, Barrymore made an immense revelation. On the show, she stated, “I’m going to say something for the first time in a long time. I have not had a drink of alcohol in two and a half years.” She continued explaining, “It was something that I realized just did not serve me in my life.” She continued, “When you are stuck in a pattern or if you are going through things and you not only admit them out loud, but you force yourself to say, ‘I’m willing to make big changes’—I think we all think we’re very weak when we don’t make those changes.” She added, “When you break that cycle, the empowerment that comes out of it. I’m not weak. I’m actually strong. I’ve proven to myself that I am capable of change. I believe people are capable of big changes.”
She took a “quietly and privately” path to sobriety, without the aid of professional help. Her journey was done away from public scrutiny and in complete secrecy. She wanted to do it on her own terms. She said, “Now it’s been long enough that I’m in a lifestyle where I know is really working on a high road for my little journey. And there’s so much peace finally being had where there were demons.”
Barrymore is clearly eager for more candid and open dialogues. She inquired, “Can we get to conversations that are funny and full of insight, but take back the layers so we can get to the humanity of what we’re all going through and help each other through it?”
Don’t you believe it is time to foster more candid and truthful conversations on talk shows?
