Drew Barrymore says she hasn't 'fully recovered' from Will Kopelman divorce: 'It destroyed me'

Drew Barrymore is still deeply affected by her split from ex-husband Will Kopelman.

The actress spoke candidly about their relationship during Friday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, revealing that their 2016 divorce after four years of marriage had a profound impact on her. The pair, who began dating in 2011, still remain on friendly terms as they raise daughters Frankie and Olive together.

“I think, for me, when I got divorced from my kids’ dad, I don’t think I have fully recovered from that in the sense of I just…” she told guests Joy Behar and Susie Essman. “I was so invested in that plan.”

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Essman noted that having children together can definitely have an effect on a relationship. “When you have kids together, that really changes things,” she said, prompting her bestie Behar to reply, “Well you never get rid of them, once you have a kid.”

Barrymore agreed. “We’re stuck together for life,” she said, before adding that they’ve both “grown a lot through the last 14 years of our union with our kids.”

Behar, who divorced her first husband Joseph Behar in 1981, also shared that divorce proceedings can be difficult, too. “I don’t recommend divorce, it’s really… it’s a drag,” she said, to which Barrymore replied, “Yeah, it destroyed me.”

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Working in tandem, Behar and Essman then helped Barrymore compile a list of requirements for the host's next big relationship, including that the person being employed, has a good sense of humor, and is kind. “It’s all reasonable stuff you’re asking for,” Essman, who married Jim Harder in 2008, remarked. “Just don’t ask them to shop with you.”

They also stressed that Barrymore needs to find someone who both understands and embraces her career. “As a public persona, as a famous person, a celebrity… you need a secure guy,” Essman emphasized. “That’s something you’re gonna really need, because you’re gonna get attention, and people are gonna recognize you, and you need a guy who’s really secure.” Behar chimed in, “And doesn’t compete with you.”

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Not someone in Hollywood, basically. “No actors — forget about it,” Behar, who is married to teacher Steve Janowitz, said. “You need a civilian. You need a doctor, a lawyer, somebody like [Essman's] husband, a construction… a builder, like that. You need that. A teacher like I got.”

And, if Barrymore needs any help, Behar is happy to offer her some dating assistance moving forward. “Call us," she said. "You call me anytime.”

As part of her talk show, Barrymore often shares her own experiences with dating — from the good to the potentially deadly — and asks her celebrity guests who are in long-term, committed relationships for their best advice. Still, in a 2020 interview with PEOPLE, the actress noted that while she's open to meeting someone special, she has zero interest in ever getting married again.

"Never. Never, never, never. I will never get married again!" she told the outlet. "And I also believe people should not say the word 'never,' and I will never, with a capital N-E-V-E-R, never get married."

In addition to her marriage to Kopelman, Barrymore was previously married to Jeremy Thomas from 1994 until 1995 and then to comedian Tom Green from 2001 until 2002. Kopelman has since remarried, tying the knot with Alexandra Michler in 2021.

The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings.

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