It's no secret that Drew Barrymore had a difficult childhood and early career. The troubled star asked for emancipation from her parents at age 14 and later struggled with substances and trauma in Hollywood.
Of course, today, Drew is a widely revered actress with her own TV series, something that many consider one of her greatest accomplishments. But a recently resurfaced interview shocked viewers who are used to seeing her on daytime TV being wholesome, relatable, and downright normal.
Drew's Television Series Has Introduced Fans To A New Side Of The Star
Drew Barrymore has invited countless stars on her show, interviewing everyone from Keanu Reeves to Jessica Alba and more. She's given an interesting perspective on Hollywood and spilled information about her personal life that fans never thought they'd hear.
And as a mom and seasoned actress, Drew seems to finally have found her place heading up her own show.
Years ago, though, things were different—and so was Drew.
Drew Barrymore's David Letterman Appearance Didn't Age Well
Though it's something that many older generations recall clearly—and it's outright listed in Drew Barrymore's Wikipedia entry—there was one interview that the starlet gave that was apparently forgotten by many.
In one interview, David brought Drew to tears with a birthday surprise. But in the footage from their 1995 encounter, Drew was not crying happy tears, nor was she really behaving in a way that someone typically would on live TV.
In a Reddit post entitled, "A normal celebrity interview," fans were shocked as they discovered and reviewed the footage of Drew climbing up on David Letterman's desk, dancing, and then flashing him (with her back to the camera).
After the dance, Drew kneeled on his desk, grabbed him by the jacket, and kissed the TV host on the cheek. Letterman acted appropriately shocked, while Drew sat back down, with her feet pulled up on her chair, giggling and covering her face.
Responses To The Interview Were Mixed
Anyone who caught the footage at the time it aired might not have been too surprised. After all, the '90s were a different time, no one really knew the extent of Drew's personal issues, and zooming in on a woman dancing on a talk show host's desk was apparently par for the course.
But Redditors who viewed the interview for the first time were gobsmacked by Drew's behavior. A top-rated comment suggested that was during a period when Barrymore was affected by substances, which other commenters seemed to agree with.
Most speculated that Drew was probably not sober during the interview, while some expressed shock that Drew was ever addicted to substances (let alone at age 12).
Plenty of comments expressed disdain at not just the behavior that society thought was OK at the time (when it would probably be interpreted as a cry for help in today's world) but also at the Hollywood environment that failed Drew and plenty of actors of her generation (like Corey Haim and Soleil Moon Frye).
A handful of commenters thought Drew might have just been having a good time (though they seemed to lack the context of Barrymore's struggles with substances), given that she was about 19 during the interview.
A commenter who wrote, "Considering she was basically a child star from all her movies until this point, this is really gross," was downvoted for their opinion, but some agreed they might've had a point.
Drew Called The Experience On Letterman "Scary"
Fans might be curious to know what Drew herself has said about the time she flashed David Letterman. In an interview, she reflected on the appearance, which occurred on David's birthday.
She stated that "He’s always been known as the person who had no problem letting the audience know he was not down with what the guest was doing... It was scary."
Further, Drew said she looked forward to going back, noting, "There’s an energy to his show. The more you tried to charm him, the less he wanted it."
But in her book Wildflower, says Cheat Sheet, Drew wrote about the "Lolita-like character" she was on Letterman's show. When she viewed the show with friends later, Barrymore said it was "the end of an era for her."
Drew appeared embarrassed while watching the footage back, but it didn't really seem as if she was embarrassed, necessarily. Rather, Drew seems to have learned from her past behavior and is confident in who she is now. Odds are, there won't be any on-desk dances (or flashings) on Drew's own talk show.