Drew Barrymore Gets Real About Dating While Going Through Perimenopause

Daytime talk show host and actress Drew Barrymore, 48, lives her life like an open book. But, now that she has reentered the dating world, the 50 First Dates star says she often finds herself wanting to conceal an important part of her life: her journey into perimenopause.

The Charlie’s Angels alum recently appeared on a panel about menopause alongside Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, Dr. Sharone Malone, Dr. Heather Hirsch and Dr. Judith Joseph, which aired on the Oprah Daily website.

Barrymore took a moment on the panel to talk about her experience with perimenopause, in addition to how it has impacted her dating life.

“There’s something in that stigma that I don’t want you to think I’m some dusty, old, dry thing. That’s not the image I want,” the actress said, according to Entertainment Tonight. 

During the candid discussion, Barrymore opened up about how she almost kept her perimenopause experience a secret from a potential suitor. “I feel very confident, normally, and I want to be who I am and present myself. But in that moment, I thought, I have to tell this story because it was a real-life experience of, I’m so proud to be here,” she shared.

The Scream alum continued, “I’m an open book. But in that one moment, I was like, ‘I don’t want to say what it is, because I'm engaging in someone who I want to see me a certain way.’”