At 14, Drew Barrymore Was Taken In By The Late David Crosby Who Helped Her In Her Sobriety Journey

Apr 20, 2023

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide that may be troubling for some readers.

Drew Barrymore is perhaps most well-known for being an actress and talk show host of her own television show. She also has worked as a director, producer and businesswoman, proving that there’s nothing that she can’t tackle. While Barrymore has time and again conquered her professional career, she has also made some pretty remarkable changes in her personal life as the years have gone by.

The actress first rose to fame during her childhood as she starred in a plethora of films, one of her most popular being “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” She went on to find success in adulthood as well, landing leading roles in many movies throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including a long string of films starring alongside fellow actor Adam Sandler. 

Some of her more notable movies include “50 First Dates,” “Never Been Kissed” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Barrymore has also received a handful of awards and award nominations over the course of her career.

Although many know Barrymore for her bright and bubbly personality, many seemed to forget that she faced a lot of challenges growing up, especially on her road to sobriety. Thanks to music icon David Crosby, Barrymore managed to stand up again. The actress had been very candid and honest about her grueling journey to sobriety ever since her resurgence in television and film.

In honor of Crosby's life after his passing in January 2023, fans of the beloved musician revisited the kindness that he had shown Barrymore as she tried to get her life back on track. Read on to learn more about Barrymore’s journey and how Crosby helped her. 

Growing up in Hollywood, Barrymore started attending Hollywood parties at the young age of 9. As she skyrocketed to fame after “ET,” Barrymore faced alcohol and drug addiction, despite her incredibly young age.

Being confronted with the decadence of substance abuse prevalent in certain circles of Hollywood meant that young Barrymore ended up a young drug addict. Her mother finally placed her in rehab at the age of 13, and she emerged sober again at age 14 after several months there. It would mark the start of several phases of addiction and sobriety in the star's life. Within a year, Barrymore tried to take her own life and was re-committed to mental health care. 

When Barrymore was eventually emancipated from her parents, Crosby and his wife, took her in. In her autobiography, “Little Girl Lost,” Barrymore dearly talked about how Crosby took her in when she was young. 

"Crosby. David, and his wife Jan, both of who were close friends of my therapist, Betty, acted as an invaluable support team to me, like surrogate parents. They were always there for me,” she wrote back then. "I cried my heart out to David.” 

As she explained in her 2015 interview with Howard Stern, Barrymore stayed at Crosby’s house for two months after she left the psychiatric institution her mother had checked her into. Crosby, who had his own “problems,” was described by Barrymore as being an “interesting character.” She went on to tell Stern about her “pretty wild” life when she used to live with him. 

But despite the hardships she encountered when she was a teen, Barrymore admitted that she was thankful for the year and a half she spent in the rehab institution, which she likened to joining the military and “boot camp.”

In a June 2021 interview with Stern, Crosby recalled the moment he and Barrymore crossed paths as the young troubled actress was about to be removed from rehab. 

"She was in a facility that was run by a friend of ours, and they said, 'Oh, s—. Her insurance is going to run out. We're going to have to kick her out. And she's not ready. She needs a safe place to go,” Crosby recalled to Stern. 

Elsewhere in his recollection, Crosby said that they took Barrymore to school and tried to be a good influence as much as possible. 

“I think we were kind and loving, and it felt good to do," he furthered. "You try to do stuff, and you're not sure how it's going to work out. I think that one worked. I think she became a responsible human being and is a nice person."

Sadly, Crosby passed away on Jan. 18, 2023, “after a long illness” as said in a statement from his family. Graham Nash revealed to the Kyle Meredith With… podcast that Crosby died due to complications brought on by COVID-19. Days after, fans of the beloved actor commemorated his death on social media, recalling the kindness he had shown to Barrymore when she was young. 

“a nice david crosby story: he & his wife took in drew barrymore when she was 14 for a bit. typical america — she was in rehab but her insurance was running out the folks running the place knew crosby & asked them to take her bc she was not ready yet & couldn't go home safely,” user collectdust reflected. The post has since amassed more than 1,300 likes and other affirmations of Crosby’s kindness.

Isn’t Drew Barrymore’s story heartbreaking? What can you say about David Crosby’s decision to take her in when she needed it most? Would you have done the same for someone as he did? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other loved ones who you think still do not know this story!

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please visit https://findahelpline.com/ to find your local suicide prevention hotline. The hotlines provide 24/7, free and confidential support for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.