We adore Drew Barrymore – even more so for her unabashed optimism about everything from torrential rain to home renovations. And while she’s previously opened up about the struggles of dating after being “comfortably single” for years, it’s just now that she’s turned her sunny perspective to love.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, she shared some updates on her dating debacles, and how she spins them into something fruitful, and if not anything else, fun. The actor and TV host hinted that she’s had multiple dates with a mystery man that has left her – and us – feeling “hopeful”. It’s a big deal for her to get past that stage, as she easily finds herself getting the ick: “Usually, it’s one and done,” she explained. We can relate!
But while you or I might describe certain dates as “a horror show”, “nun-making”, or “celibacy starts now”, Drew said she has grown to see bad dates as “funny” and “awesome”.
“It makes for a great essay or girlfriend fodder over cocktails or whatever you’re into,” she said. Always optimistic, she says that she doesn’t let a ‘bad’ date get her down, and how exactly she does it. “Never become cynical and jaded about anything, but especially dating,” she said. Drew also highlighted the importance of being in the right “season” to date: “I feel like I’m having an on season.”
Although it's not always easy to stay motivated after countless bad dates, we can all take something from Drew’s experiences. She admits herself that she experiences the same tough, turbulent times on dating apps as the rest of us. And a year ago, she didn’t get any matches, “It makes me feel like such a loser,” she told the audience of her talk show series The Drew Barrymore Show. Dating app fatigue and frustration is real for us all.
We’ve been lucky enough to get to know a more vulnerable side to the actor on her talk show. She’s incredibly candid – it’s where she shared that she hadn’t had an “intimate relationship” since her her divorce from Will Kopelman in 2016, and responded to accusations that she hated sex. She’s also spoken openly about raising her kids after her own traumatic childhood, intimacy issues, and her sobriety. Sex is a well-covered topic – from friends with benefits (it wouldn’t work for Drew! She says) to sexting. And ofc, it’s a place she hosts some stellar guests – including recent Cosmopolitan UK cover stars Lindsay Lohan and Camila Cabello.
Everyone's clicking on...
In need of more dating advice? Tinder recently partnered with the folks at NO MORE (a global non-profit organisation dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault), to launch a series of Healthy Dating Guides. It covers everything from consent to intimacy and safety measures.
Drew, we’re taking a leaf from your book! Are you in your *on* season? *Opens Tinder*.
Paige Vahla (She/Her) is Cosmopolitan UK's former Sex & Relationships Editor covering all things sex, relationships, friends and family, and LGBTQ+. Think of her as your sex-positive best friend who offers expert insight and first-person perspectives when it comes to exploring the realm of love and sex. Whether you're updating your sex toy stash, getting over a friendship break-up or need answers to your burning relationship questions - she's got you covered. You can also follow her on Twitter.
