Drew Barrymore is debuting her new baby girl Frankie in this week’s edition of People. She gave People the first photos of daughter Olive too, so I’m not surprised that Frankie got the same treatment. If I remember correctly, the Olive baby photo cover was one of People’s worst selling issues, but I suppose People just likes the cache of being the go-to publication for celebrities like Drew. I wonder if they even paid for the pics? Anyway, this cover dovetails nicely for Drew’s promotional work for Blended, the Adam Sandler comedy she’s promoting now.
Drew Barrymore is the first to admit taking care of a newborn and a toddler has been an adjustment. The actress, who delivered her second child with art advisor husband Will Kopelman on April 22, says her recovery with newborn daughter Frankie was quicker this time around than following her first pregnancy with elder daughter Olive, 20 months.
“I knew that I have two kids to take care of now and just kicked my own butt to get back into the swing of things immediately,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. The biggest challenge? “Just being split. They’re awake and asleep at different times, or awake at the same time, and it’s a juggling act a little bit.”
Barrymore, 39, says her own tumultuous childhood influenced what she sees as most important for her kids. She wanted Olive “to have a sibling, because I really would have liked that in my life,” she says. “And always being on time, being there when I say I’m going to be there. Creating a real stable home. I know when my daughter wants to swing higher and jump into the pool and all of these things, she feels safe. To make your kids feel safe is everything.”
Barrymore says Olive is relishing having a baby sister – so far. “Olive loves Frankie and just wants to hang out with her all the time,” she adds. “She wants to feed her. She’s super into it. That’s now. I’m sure things will ebb and flow.”
Now promoting Blended, her new comedy with Adam Sandler which hits theaters Friday, Barrymore admits she wasn’t sure she wanted to act anymore after Olive’s birth.
“I didn’t think I could go back to work honestly. I didn’t want to be away from my kids and it just wasn’t the priority,” she says. “With Adam, he makes everything really safe because he really creates an environment where kids can come and be a part of it. It was a really big lesson for me.”
Knowing duty would be calling so soon after giving birth “kept me at least physically present and sharp,” Barrymore adds. “As opposed to being a brain scholar, which I am not right now. As I walk into a room to get something and pass the doorway, I’ve forgotten already.”
I like that Drew is self-aware enough to try and “correct” her own childhood by giving her daughters everything she ever wanted when she was little: stability, siblings, a present father, a mother who doesn’t act like Kris Jenner. As for the whole “I walk into a room to get something and pass the doorway, I’ve forgotten already” thing – I do that and I don’t even have kids. I walk upstairs to find something and by the time I’m standing by my desk, I’m like “Wait, what was I doing?”
Here are some photos of Drew and Adam Sandler at the Berlin premiere of Blended a few days ago. This was her first red carpet since giving birth to Frankie. She looks good, but in the thumbnails, I thought she was Khloe Kardashian.
Photos courtesy of WENN, cover courtesy of People.
It’s funny her husband and her older daughter are in cover but their faces are hidden
It is an odd choice of photos for a cover – it looks like some People at people were Pissed off at the art collector dude, however the choice of photos seems a disservice to the child who looks frightened.
I really like Drew, but she has the oddest taste in clothes.
Agree with both.
I like Drew as well but she’s never known how to dress, ever.
Zero sense of style or fashion.
Having grown up in a home where I did not feel safe and where I was walking on eggshells all the time, I completely understand her feelings. Making sure that my own kids have a safe and loving home was extremely important to me as well. They’ve done studies that show kids growing up in unsafe homes, where they are afraid all the time or worried bad things might happen any second…it changes the way the brain is wired. It’s hard to be happy and not feel that any minute something bad will happen to take it away. It’s so good to see Drew happy and thriving and providing such a loving home for her girls. I wish her nothing but happiness!
+ 1
and congrats to drew, the little girl is adorable.
There were times I was downright miserable in my home. My parents fought something awful, and expected me to take sides. They’ve gotten better in recent years, but I have a lot of anxiety and depression to deal with from all of that. I can’t even handle seeing conflict on TV most of the time. I start feeling sick.
I don’t ever want to have my children feel that way. My parents both love my brother and I more than anything, but they didn’t ever deal with their own problems properly. Unfortunately, it’s learned behavior from their own parents, so hopefully I can break that cycle.
I grew up in a home like the one you describe, Suzy, so I just want to send you some warm thoughts and good wishes. We are strong people, those of us who survived terrible childhoods. And we appreciate peace in the home with such genuine sincerity, at least I think so.
Drew sounds pretty self-aware so her children sound like they have a good chance for a secure childhood. I wish them all the best!
Hugs To you guyses!
The only Sandler movies I seem to like are the ones she’s in, The Wedding Singer is still one of my favorites.
The Wedding Singer is the only ‘good’ Sandler movie. And by that, I mean it’s tolerable to watch at home, but I wouldn’t want to pay to see it.
Agreed. I tried watching that 50 First Dates and had to turn it off, and I’ll sit through almost anything. But the Wedding Singer was cute.
Yeah it seems dumb to pay for a Sandler movie when I’m going to demand a refund anyway.
Wonder what makes some celebs do the “debut” deal with a magazine and others not (besides the obvious $$) — Emily Blunt and Olivia Wilde also had babies recently but they don’t seem to have any interest in People Magazine or the like..
I’ve heard it is to decrease the value of paparazzi photos. If they debut the baby photos are less eager to get a photo, thus leave them and their infant alone.
Drew Barrymore isn’t a major paparazzi target and no one’s really interested in her kids, certainly not in the way they’re interested in the Jolie-Pitt kids or Suri Cruise or Bennifer’s brood. When she does get papped the interest is in her, not her children, so if anything this just creates an interest that wasn’t previously there.
I think some celebs do it just because it’s become a bit of a status symbol and it makes them feel good that they can still land the cover of People. There’s been a lot of blinds about celebs having existential crises when they have a kid and no reputable magazine wants the pics…rather pathetically it’s become a sort of fame/popularity barometer.
My guess is she got a nice little trust fund for her kids out of it. Drews no sandy or angie. Maybe a cool qtr mil was appealing. Don’t buy it’s to keep papz at bay. No demand for olive Koppelman, sorry.
Penny – I agree. She’s not up there with Tom Cruise, or Angelina in terms of star power and the public interest is certainly not there to the same extent.
I like Drew, I like baby pics, but even I’m not interested lol. She’s been in the public eye for so long that this all might feel normal to her, or like she owes it to America to share her kids and this chapter of her story. Then there’s the practical matter of keeping her profile up while she’s busy doing other things, and bad Adam Sandler movies that don’t demand a lot of her. I applaud her for going the hands on route with her kids, especially after her own rocky childhood. She has enough money, and she’s had her time in the spotlight. Good to see she got her prorites in order and made a stable life for herself before she decided to have kids.
It is interesting how some celebs are accused of pimping their kids to promote a film while others are giving a pass.
It makes me respect a celeb less when they “debut” their baby on basically a tabloid. So lame.
Yes. While some celebs say they donate the pic fees to charities, it still feels like these people are pimping out their kids. Agreed, that while some major celebs release baby pics in hopes of controlling the paps (Angie and Brad), most of the baby cover issues are not offspring of major celebs.
For real, Olly Holly. I thought for a hot minute we were past this. Or it was at least reserved for reality stars.
I don’t care for it myself, especially when it coincides with a new movie coming out.
I love Drew and I’m really happy for her and think she’s probably a great mom, I just never feel quite right about the magazine cover thing.
I like the girls’ names. They seem perfect for the daughters of Drew, lol
Re: doing the cover
It makes sense to me bc it’s a way for to Drew to control the message.
And yes she is papped on the regular. Has been her whole life. People think that know her bc of ET or (insert fave Drew movie here). I think it makes sense that she “debut” he daughter bc then she doesn’t “owe” her fans anything and she’s sticking to her “personable and open” personality script. It’s her image and she manages it really well.
I love her and am so happy for her.
I find it so interesting that many people who grew up without siblings consciously choose to have more than one child. While so many people who grew up with siblings are now choosing to have only one child. Personally I’d rather have my children have fewer material things in life but have each other.
Choosing to have one child only is not always or even usually due to money or expenses, Patsy. Not sure what you mean. Plenty of families with only one child struggle and plenty with multiple kids have lots of money….I have heard of couples choosing not to have children at all b/c it’s too expensive in their minds [certain plan for college, savings, retirements, etc], but it doesn’t seem all that common to have only one b/c of costs, in my experience. Usually, it’s due to older parents who had a hard time getting pregnant the first time and were not able to subsequently. That’s what I’ve noticed is more common re: one child only.