Drew Barrymore Body Shaming: Star Reflects on Being Told She Was "Too Heavy" at Age 10

A 10-year-old girl was told she was "too heavy" for Hollywood. Decades later, she's finally reclaiming her narrative. During the January 14, 2026 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, actress Drew Barrymore tearfully revisited the toxic beauty standards that haunted her childhood.

Drew Barrymore Body Shaming Comments and the Price of Early Fame

Barrymore, who debuted at age 4 and became a global sensation after 'E.T.', shared a heartbreaking look at her younger self. Now 50, she recalled how the industry turned on her when she didn't fit the narrow mold of a child star. "I was 10 years old and I was told by everybody, 'You don’t look how you did in E.T. You’re too heavy,'" she explained while looking at a photograph from 1985.

The Golden Globe winner described her journey to self-acceptance as a "beautiful, internal war." She emphasized that it took four decades to reach a place where she could say "I deserve happiness" and truly believe it. Addressing younger viewers, Barrymore urged them to set boundaries against criticism, stating that they don't have to "take in" the negative opinions of others.