See Drew Barrymore Apologize After Severe Backlash For Comments On Johnny Depp
The outrage over the comments was nearly instantaneous, with many angered over the tone Drew Barrymore took with the situation.
It’s been a long time since Drew Barrymore was considered controversial, but the wild child-turned-daytime talk show host is taking some heated criticism from some of her biggest fans over her comments about the Johnny Depp defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard. Many felt her comments about the trial were flippant towards the issue of domestic abuse of men, as public opinion has been largely sympathetic to Depp. The blowback reached such an intensity that the 47-year-old had to post a hasty apology on Sunday to her Instagram account, which boasts nearly 16 million followers.
Variety reported on the apology, in which the Charlie’s Angels star said she was seeking to make the controversy a “teachable moment” about how she should conduct herself in the future. “It has come to my attention that I have offended people with making light of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard,” Drew Barrymore says in the video. “All I want to do is be a good person. I can be a more thoughtful and better person moving forward because all I want to do is be a good person and I very much appreciate the depth of this and I will grow and change from it…And I thank everyone helping me grow along the way and teaching me. Thank you.”
The apology from Drew Barrymore is in stark contrast to her comments on The Drew Barrymore Show last week, when she laughingly joked about the trial. While interviewing Anthony Anderson, the pair began mocking the details coming out of the trial, including the incident in which Heard allegedly severed Depp’s fingertip during an altercation, a charge Heard denies. “It’s like one layer of crazy, it’s a seven-layer dip of insanity,” Barrymore said. “I know that these are two people’s real lives and I know what it’s like to have your life put out in public. I understand all the feelings, but they are actually offering up this information that nobody had to know. This is crazy!” Although The Drew Barrymore Show did not release video of her statements, one YouTube user did, who was critical of her comments that seemed to make light of domestic violence (referred to as DV in the video).
The outrage over the comments was nearly instantaneous, with many angered over the tone Drew Barrymore took with the situation. Some wondered if the comments would be the same if the gender roles were reversed, and claimed her attitude is indicative of the way our culture minimizes domestic violence towards men. Depp is seeking $50 million from Heard for defamation, claiming her 2018 opinion piece for The Washington Post ruined his career. Heard has countersued, claiming Deep abused her.
Many found the comments by Drew Barrymore ironic, considering she herself has been quite open about her troubled life, which included drug use, rehab, questionable behavior, and allegations of abuse. She entered the Hollywood spotlight at the age of six with a role in 1982’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg. She then appeared in other films, including Stephen King’s Firestarter. Soon after, her abuse of alcohol and drugs began, and she entered rehab at the age of 13. At the age of 14, she attempted suicide, and spent time in a mental institution. With the help of close friends, including singer David Crosby and his wife, Barrymore kicked her addictions, and resumed her acting career.
In the early 1990s, Drew Barrymore took on her much-publicized “wild child” persona, starring in films like Poison Ivy and Bad Girls. At the age of 17, she posed nude for Interview Magazine, and would later pose nude for Playboy. In 1995, she famously flashed David Letterman when she appeared on his late-night talk show and began dancing on his desk. Her much-heralded cameo in 1996’s Scream marked a turning point for her personally and professionally, however, and a change in her image. She began making romantic comedies, including hits like 50 First Dates and Never Been Kissed. That led to hits like the Charlie’s Angel’s franchise, Whip It, and The Santa Clarita Diet. She recently appeared in the movie The Stand-In. She began hosting The Drew Barrymore Show in 2020, and has enjoyed strong ratings for the CBS syndicated show.
