25 Former Female Child Stars Who Exposed The Dark Reality Of Hollywood

9. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore is often cited as a primary example of childhood exploitation in the entertainment industry. Her career began at just 11 months old with a dog food commercial, and by age seven, her superstardom in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial made her the primary breadwinner for her family, a reality she later recalled made her feel valued only for the money she earned. In multiple interviews over the years, the actress has spoken candidly about being exposed to environments and situations far beyond her age, beginning with frequent visits to New York’s notorious nightclub Studio 54 alongside her mother, Jaid Barrymore, when she was just nine. By her own account, as revealed in her autobiography Little Girl Lost , she was “drinking al**hol at nine, sm*king marijuana at ten,” and struggling with illegal substance misuse by twelve. Barrymore has repeatedly described her upbringing as lacking boundaries, calling her mother’s parenting style a “recipe for disaster.” On The Drew Barrymore Show in April 2023, she reflected on how normalized these experiences felt at the time, admitting, “I experienced so many things that were so inappropriate at such a young age that I'm so confused about – what was I accountable for? What did I put myself into?” In the episode, Barrymore also reflected on the #MeToo movement and acknowledged feeling conflicted about speaking out about her own problematic experiences. She explained, “I felt like I couldn't speak to the movement, and I was so happy that it was happening, but I felt like I experienced too many things that were so gray and so awkward, and I didn't know were wrong at the time.” Drew has also spoken about the intense scrutiny she faced as a pre-teen, particularly around her appearance. In a January 2026 episode of her talk show, she became emotional while looking at photos of herself at age ten, recalling constant criticism from both industry professionals and the public for not maintaining the look she had as a seven-year-old. “I just was told every day, ‘You don't look how you did in E.T. You're too heavy. You're not blonde enough. You're not old enough. You're too young. You're not tall.’ And everybody just started getting involved in the way I looked.” She has also addressed being cast in “adult” roles at a very young age, including at nine years old in the 1984 film Irreconcilable Differences , and how the industry commodified her childhood innocence for profit.