In a candid moment on her daytime talk show, actress and host Drew Barrymore shared a lighthearted anecdote about joining the so-called mile-high club, but with a twist that caught her guest by surprise. The revelation came during the February 9 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, where Barrymore, 50, was chatting with actress Kaley Cuoco, 40, about personal experiences in the air.
Cuoco, known for her role in The Big Bang Theory, posed the question directly: whether Barrymore's initiation into the mile-high club had been a "difficult" maneuver. Barrymore replied with a quip, saying, "American Airlines," before adding, "No. It worked well. He was in the bathroom." The comment elicited laughter from the audience, suggesting Barrymore was referring to an encounter with airline personnel rather than a typical passenger liaison, though she kept the details playful and vague.
This revelation is part of Barrymore's ongoing openness about her life post-divorce. The actress, who rose to fame as a child star in films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, has been candid about her romantic challenges since splitting from her third husband, art consultant Will Kopelman, in 2016. The couple had married in 2012 and shared two daughters, Olive, now 11, and Frankie, 9. Their announcement of separation came in April 2016 after four years of marriage, citing a desire to co-parent amicably.
Since the divorce, Barrymore has navigated single motherhood with a focus on her children and personal growth. In a January 2022 episode of her show, she explained her hesitation to date seriously, stating, "I have two young girls, and I don’t want to bring people home." She emphasized the time needed to build trust, adding, "I think that it would take me a very long time to meet someone and get to know them before I could ever even introduce them to my daughters."
Barrymore's reflections on intimacy have evolved over time. During a September 2022 episode, she admitted she could go "years without sex," a statement that underscored her prioritization of self-care and parenting. Expanding on this in an October 2022 blog post on her website, Barrymore delved deeper into her mindset. "After two kids and a separation from their father that has made me cautious, I have had the pleasure of shifting my focus when it comes to love for myself and my two daughters," she wrote. She credited therapy for a pivotal insight from her therapist: "Sex is not love! It is the expression of love."
I have searched my whole life to have words like that to help me understand the difference and now, thanks to him, I do. And since entering life as a single mom, I have not been able to have an intimate relationship. I have had the honor and pleasure to actually work on myself and learn what parenting is again, something I was not exactly clear on growing up and I’ve had many learning curves thrown my way. I’ve been intimidated.
Barrymore's commitment to her daughters extends to modeling healthy behaviors. She has spoken about wanting to set a positive example, noting in the same blog post, "I am just in a completely different place in my life and maybe in the near future I will get into a relationship." However, she clarified that romance isn't her current focus: "It simply hasn’t been my priority. So I’m not a person who needs sex and has to go out there and engage with people on that level. I am someone who is deeply committed to fostering how young girls, my daughters, and myself as a woman, are supposed to function in this world! A relationship with a man has not been top of mind for me for a very long time."
The actress also addressed the emotional weight of her divorce, describing a need to remain "very celibate" to honor the "loss of a nuclear family that I swore I would have for my daughters." In the blog, she reflected, "I have just simply come to laugh about the fact that it is not my personal priority to be with a partner, but that doesn’t mean it won’t become one someday. I need time. And my view on sex has truly changed." This period of self-imposed celibacy aligns with Kopelman's own life changes; he remarried Alexandra Michler in 2021, a development Barrymore has publicly acknowledged without bitterness.
Barrymore's dating history has been as colorful as her career. Before Kopelman, she was married to comedian Tom Green from 2001 to 2002 and filmmaker Jeremy Thomas from 1994 to 1995. Her high-profile romances have included actors like Luke Wilson and David Arquette, as well as musicians such as The Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti. These relationships, spanning decades, have often been fodder for tabloids, but Barrymore has used her platform to reframe the narrative around her personal growth.
The mile-high club comment, while humorous, fits into Barrymore's broader pattern of destigmatizing women's experiences with sex and relationships. By sharing such stories on her show, which airs weekdays on CBS stations, she creates space for guests like Cuoco—who has her own history of public relationships, including marriages to Ryan Sweeting and Karl Cook—to open up. Cuoco, for instance, has discussed her 2022 wedding to Tom Pelphrey and their daughter, born in 2023, highlighting a contrast to Barrymore's current single status.
Experts in celebrity psychology note that such disclosures can normalize conversations around intimacy for audiences. Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist who has commented on celebrity mental health, has praised Barrymore's approach in past interviews, saying it helps reduce shame around divorce and single parenting. While not directly addressing this episode, Durvasula's views align with Barrymore's emphasis on therapy and self-reflection.
Barrymore's show, now in its fourth season, has become a haven for these unfiltered talks. Launched in September 2020 amid the pandemic, it quickly gained popularity for its warm, relatable vibe. The February 9 episode, taped in New York City, featured Cuoco promoting her latest projects, but the personal exchange stole the spotlight, trending on social media shortly after airing.
Looking ahead, Barrymore shows no signs of slowing down. At 50, she continues to balance motherhood, hosting, and occasional acting roles, including a recent guest spot on The Drew Barrymore Show itself. Her blog and show episodes suggest she's content in her current phase, though open to future romance. As she put it in 2022, "maybe in the near future I will get into a relationship," indicating a cautious optimism.
The entertainment world has reacted positively to Barrymore's candor, with fans praising her for blending humor with vulnerability. Social media posts from viewers highlighted the mile-high quip as a refreshing take on a clichéd topic, while others appreciated the deeper dive into her post-divorce life. No official response from American Airlines has been reported, but the airline's history of celebrity encounters— from in-flight proposals to viral passenger stories—adds context to Barrymore's jest.
In the end, Barrymore's story underscores a larger cultural shift toward open discussions of women's sexuality and autonomy. By sharing her journey from child star to single mom, she not only entertains but also inspires, reminding audiences that personal revelations can be both surprising and empowering. As her show continues to evolve, expect more moments that blend the lighthearted with the profound.