David Crosby fans are remembering how he took Drew Barrymore in at 14 and helped her get sober
David Crosby #DavidCrosby
Legendary rocker David Crosby passed away at 81 after a long illness, a source confirmed to TODAY.com on Jan. 19. While he was well-known as a founding member of the Byrds, one aspect of his life people may not know about is his friendship with actor Drew Barrymore.
A recent tweet in the wake of the musician’s death that reminded fans of his kindness toward Barrymore started garnering likes and retweets after it was first shared Thursday evening.
“A nice david crosby story: he & his wife took in drew barrymore when she was 14 for a bit. typical america — she was in rehab but her insurance was running out the folks running the place knew crosby & asked them to take her bc she was not ready yet & couldn’t go home safely,” the tweet from user @collectdust read.
Barrymore struggled with drug and alcohol addiction as a preteen after skyrocketing to stardom thanks to her role in “E.T.” She’s shared in the past that her mother facilitated her substance use by treating her more like a friend than a daughter. When Barrymore was 13, her mother put her in a psychiatric facility for a year and a half, as she’d also had mental health struggles. At 14, she emancipated herself from her parents.
Crosby, who was open about his own struggles with addiction, recalled how he and his wife, Jan, took Barrymore after her time in the facility in during a June 2021 interview with Howard Stern.
“We knew her because we were in recovery at that time. We were going to meetings probably three times a week and totally sober,” Crosby said. “She was in a facility that was run by a friend of ours, and they said, ‘Oh, s–t. Her insurance is going to run out. We’re going to have to kick her out. And she’s not ready. She needs a safe place to go.’”
That’s where Crosby and his wife stepped in, he said, adding that they put healthy boundaries and rules in place for her.
“We took her to school in the morning and tried to be a good influence. I think we were kind and loving, and it felt good to do,” he said. “You try to do stuff, and you’re not sure how it’s going to work out. I think that one worked. I think she became a responsible human being and is a nice person.”
Drew Barrymore in 1995.Barry King / WireImage
For two months, Barrymore lived with Crosby, whom she described as an “interesting character” in a 2015 interview with Howard Stern. She even went on tour with Crosby, which she called a “pretty wild” experience in the interview.
But even in a rock-and-roll tour environment, Barrymore recalled Crosby instituting rules like bedtimes. And she said she “felt bad” for Crosby and his wife because “they had to take in this kid, and they weren’t parents themselves.”
Barrymore also wrote about Crosby’s compassion toward her in her 1990 autobiography, “Little Girl Lost.” In a time of need, she found a payphone and called Crosby, as he and his wife were both friends of Barrymore’s therapist, and they acted like “surrogate parents” for her, she wrote. “They were always there for me.”
Barrymore asked Crosby to pick her up, which he did. He drove her back to his house where they spent nearly two hours talking in the car before having breakfast inside. “I cried my heart out to David,” she wrote.
The “50 First Dates” star has yet to comment publicly on Crosby’s death, but numerous other celebrities have mourned the loss.
“David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world,” Graham Nash, a former bandmate, wrote in part on Facebook.
“The soul of CSNY, David’s voice and energy were at the heart of our band,” his former collaborator Neil Young shared on his website. “His great songs stood for what we believed in and it was always fun and exciting when we got to play together.”
“I don’t know what to say other than I’m heartbroken to hear about David Crosby,” added Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. “David was an unbelievable talent — such a great singer and songwriter. And a wonderful person. I just am at a loss for words. Love & Mercy to David’s family and friends.”
Sarah Jacoby