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Drew Barrymore gets candid about 'failing' at motherhood

The Charlie's Angels star has two daughter with ex-husband Will Kopelman


drew barrymore failure motherhood© Photo: Getty Images
Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
January 10, 2023
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Drew Barrymore has made a heartbreaking admission about her journey into motherhood, revealing she felt "like a failure" trying to raise her daughters.

The 47-year-old – who shares Frankie, eight, and Olive, ten, with her ex-husband Will Kopelman – confessed she was "overwhelmed" when she welcomed her daughters and admitted she had "to learn on the job".

WATCH: Drew Barrymore makes unexpected revelation involving her daughters

"All those parents who have it all together, and they've got hygiene and nutrition and schedules and boundaries, God bless you. I didn't know any of that stuff when I had my kids," she said on the Chicks in the Office podcast.

"I did not have the blueprint and I felt like a failure a lot," the Charlie's Angels star continued. "I felt really overwhelmed and like, 'I don’t know what I'm doing… I don't know what I'm doing and I'm gonna have to learn on the job.'"

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Drew went on to encourage parents to admit they don't always know what to do — and that it's just as "humorous" as it is "humbling" sometimes.

drew barrymore ex husband will kopelman and their daughters© Photo: Getty Images

Drew shares Frankie and Olive with her ex Will

"It's funny, I was so unforgiving of myself when my kids were younger and now that they're almost — Frankie's almost nine and Olive's like ten, it's shifted into something very different and I'm having the best time ever," she shared, adding that she has finally "learned boundaries".

While Drew and Will split in 2016, they have remained amicable and successfully co-parent their children together.

drew barrymore and ex husband will kopelman© Photo: Alamy

Drew and Will split in 2016

Drew found the divorce from Will very difficult and opened up about the agony of the break-up on her show last July. Talking about seeking help for her mental health, she said: "I went through a really painful divorce, and I wasn't doing very well.

"I had these two kids I had to fight for and I needed help. So, I started reaching out to different people and eventually I made some big sweeping changes in my life. I got on a whole new track. Not back on track, but a whole new one that I helped build."

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