Drew Barrymore, 41, and her husband, art consultant Will Kopelman, 38, have separated after three years of marriage. They reportedly plan to divorce soon. Will and Drew have been dating since early 2011 and were married in June of 2012. They have two daughters together, Olive, three, and Frankie, nearly two. This is Drew’s third marriage. Page Six was the first to report the news today, although OK! Magazine claimed back in October [via Radar] that Drew and Will were having problems and had separated at that time. They dropped this news on a Friday afternoon so it does sound serious. Here’s the story from Page Six:
Drew Barrymore and her third husband, art consultant Will Kopelman, have split after three years of marriage, Page Six has confirmed.
The couple, who have two little girls ages 3 and 1, have separated and plan to divorce soon, sources said.
“They’ve been having some difficulties, but they remain close for the sake of their kids,” one source told Page Six of the actress, 41, and Kopelman, 38, who is the wealthy son of former Chanel CEO Arie Kopelman.
Another source added, “Drew had a very rebellious and wild childhood, with no family around her, and while she is a very different person now, and a great mother, some of that can stay with you.”
It’s the third failed union for the “E.T.” beauty.
Her first marriage, at age 19, was to bartender Jeremy Thomas in 1994, and lasted less than two months. Her second, in 2001, was to comedian Tom Green, her co-star in “Charlie’s Angels,” and lasted five months.
What does that insider quote mean? Has Drew moved on already or was she cheating? She does not have a good track record, not to pin this on her with so little information, it’s just that we know more about her background than Will’s. Page Six and US Magazine are reporting on Drew’s comments last fall about relationships and compromise. She said at the time that “My husband and I compromise on a lot of things … It’s the little things that you can change that can make a relationship stronger. Compromise is about changing yourself for the better. It’s an opportunity for you to become a more functional, better person.” Doesn’t that sound like she’s trying to convince herself? I hope Drew is well and that she’s able to have a decent coparenting relationship with Will.
Drew got a new tattoo yesterday. She had her daughter’s names tattooed on the inside of her right wrist and posted photos of the process on Instagram. (Drew has several other tattoos including a cross on her ankle, a butterfly under her bellybutton, and the outline of a bird on her right forearm.) Out of all of her tattoos, this one is probably the most meaningful to her. She may have gotten it to remind her of what’s important during this transitional time.
This photo is from December of last year:
And this one is from January, 2014:
January, 2015:
photos credit: Getty, WENN and Drew Barrymore/Instagram
I guess third time’s a charm doesn’t work for everyone.
And she was engaged two other times.
She got bored with the marriage and with him. He is always going to be steady and kind, a good husband, but this is not something Drew can sustain. She is the one who wants the divorce. I doubt he had a thing to do with it, other than being his usual self.
I think the reason that the third time was not the charm for Drew was because she was looking for a man to have kids with and not a lifelong partner. I’m sure she hoped that it could evolve into a thriving decades-long marriage. I think she was worried about her ebbing fertility and got down to business. She’s a smart business woman for sure.
Color me surprised. I thought she had a stable family life at last. But the source quote hints that she craves freedom, perhaps?
I think she is the one that wants the divorce.
The source seems to hint that she doesn’t really know how to be part of a family and in the end maybe she decided it wasn’t for her. The issue with all of that is she has two very young girls .
A while ago I think Celebitchy might have said they thought this marriage to Will was just a phase. I hope the kids aren’t just a phase too. I guess they will go for joint custody. I don’t think she should have sole custody.
And you’re saying she shouldn’t get sole custody based on what exactly? The things you read in the press that come from press agents pushing an agenda? It’s a good thing that a judge who will be in possession of facts makes custody decisions.
Unless there is something wrong with the husband and his parenting skills, I don’t believe in sole custody.
Drew Barrymore had an interesting childhood at Best. I think she has the best interest of her children at heart. However, I doubt she knows how to implement that by herself. Unless something proves wrong with Will, joint custody would be best.
I do feel most sorry for the very young children. Sometimes a person who has gone through a tumultuous childhood will do everything in his or her power to ensure their own kids have a different experience. Hope it works out as best it can.
“Unless there is something wrong with the husband and his parenting skills, I don’t believe in sole custody.”
Agreed. There seems to be a prevailing attitude that fathers are disposable, but all the statistics show that children raised by single mothers tend to do MUCH worse than children raised by both parents.
Unless there is something wrong with the husband and his parenting skills, I don’t believe in sole custody.
Exactly times 100! Like Illyra said, all of the studies show that it is better for children to be raised by both parents. The problems come up when kids (particularly boys) have been kept from their fathers and raised by mothers who view them as “their property.” And it is most often affluent, well-educated white women who are the worst. If anyone is interested, here is a great article on the disenfranchisement of fathers in today’s society:
http://users.wfu.edu/nielsen/divorceddad.pdf
That’s a bummer, I was hoping this one would work out for her. Hope they are able to split as amicably as possible for their kids.
Totally, it’s really sad. She always gushed about her family and how happy she was to finally have a real family life…
Guess she’s one of the couples that waited for the Oscars to pass to get a divorce?
Are they Wasser’s first couple? Or do Gwen and Jen count as the first two?
Honestly, I’m not surprised. I got the sense in some of interviews that she was changing herself for this relationship. I can’t remember anything distinct but it was how I read some of her interviews.
She seems to try to change herself to become more like the man she is currently with…I love Drew, but, I bet she is no picnic to live with….
….why would the one trying to mould herself into the perfect spouse, be the one who’s ‘no picnic to live with’? Surely it’s the one who prompts the image redo we should be looking at…
@teacakes
What?.. Drew talked a lot about wanting to be the opposite of her parents as a wife and mother after she got married. Which seems to be were this image came from so no it doesn’t mean he was wanted the image redo.
“…why would the one trying to mould herself into the perfect spouse, be the one who’s ‘no picnic to live with’…?”
because you are not authentic
because most people are not able to change
because at the end of the day you are living a lie
because you build up a lot of anger, frustration if you can’t be your true self (and you might wonder why you are not happy if everything is the way you wanted it)
because in the end most people will fail trying to live up to another person’s expectations
and yes, I have been there and so have several of my friends.
This has been my mantra for a while now: “I am enough.” Believe me, it will make YOU happier than trying to “mould yourself into the perfect spouse”.
“…why would the one trying to mould herself into the perfect spouse, be the one who’s ‘no picnic to live with’…?”
because you are not authentic
because most people are not able to change
because at the end of the day you are living a lie
because you build up a lot of anger, frustration if you can’t be your true self (and you might wonder why you are not happy if everything is the way you wanted it)
because in the end most people will fail trying to live up to another person’s expectations
and yes, I have been there and so have several of my friends.
This has been my mantra for a while now: “I am enough.” Believe me, it will make YOU happier than trying to “mould yourself into the perfect spouse”.
Wow. Only two posts? The real story here is that Drew has become a non entity.
I think it’s partially because her husband is not famous and they were pretty low key. People were not that invested in her marriage.
I really like Drew and was sad when I heard the news. She seemed so happy.
Up to 28 posts now. I’m glad the fans have rallied to save her entity during this tough time.
I watched Whip It the other day. I thought she was good in that. Maybe she’ll start appearing in more movies again now that she’s ditched the ol ball and chain.
She directed Whip It
Yes. And she played Smashley Simpson.
I think it is hard for her not to be independent, to do what she likes, how she likes and when she likes. Marriage is not for everyone.
Exactly this. Just read her book a couple months ago and Drew reminds me so much of myself. Both free spirits that love our independence and don’t want to be ‘stuck’. Then I took the personality test and got ENFP and Drew’s one too, makes total sense. When she started describing her marriage & new family life it made me sad bc it seemed that instead of a natural maturation it was more of a forced personality change. I’m 30 and I’ve never had the drive to get married and have kids and I have a hard time believing I’ll find a partner that gives me the freedom I demand. I hate feeling like I have to answer to anyone and that anyone else is my ‘keeper’. It might change as I age but I’ll probably always be fiercely independent and I’m very happy with that
I think you just need to find someone with the same qualities – if you want to find someone. It sounds like you have a personality type where opposites don’t attract. You need someone you connect with and someone who needs the same freedom you do.
Yes, KB and it’s surprisingly hard. I feel like guys talk a big game about being independent and not being held back by their woman but then once they interact with one who truly wants that it throws them completely off.
I am a rare INFP which is probably why I have struggled in relationships as well.
Apsutter: that will never change. Men like to talk up their desire for an independent woman, free spirit, and the minute they find one, it’s the first thing they want to change.
It’s better to live your life without the expectation that you’ll find a man who doesn’t want to change you.
And don’t be disheartened when you don’t find one. Just live your life and be happy. Being unhappy in a relationship is worse than being single.
Speaking from personal experience, it is possible for a very independent spirit to form a happy relationship, if that’s what fits you. If being single fits you better, then more power to you!
I am a free spirit myself, I need a lot of time to myself. My boyfriend prefers sharing everything. And it works! It’s just about respecting one’s own and each other’s needs. Sometimes that means negotiating. As long as both partners are on the same page with the baseline being: “We want both of us to be happy!”, you figure it out.
It’s possible to find someone who compliments that quality. If you find someone with hobbies and interests they like and don’t like to be smothered, you can coexist together happily. There is always some negotiating but it can be done. Maybe in other areas it might be challenging, but you can find men who like that. You probably attract men who initially find it attractive and think it keeps a bit of the chase going or see it as sexy, but then it becomes more than they bargained for. Just like some people like a youthful quality and then see it’s more about immaturity in some people.
I’m sad for Drew because I like her and was hoping she had finally found love and the stability of a family unit. But I can’t say that I’m completely surprised. Soon after she and Will started dating, she started changing. She started dressing way more conservatively and it seemed more like she was morphing to match her mate than simply maturing. Not saying she should should be a Hollywood wild child forever, but the wearing demure clothes (and long sleeves on everything) just wasn’t ringing true.
I always got a weird vibe on that relationship too.
It’s interesting you say that because I thought she might naturally be maturing and evolving rather than forcing herself to to be someone she isn’t. Especially after having her daughters. And I’m naturally pretty cynical about stuff like that.
Drew really was a wild child free spirit, much like Angelina Jolie. People give Angelina credit for maturing, why not Drew?
ITA. There’s so much projecting on this thread. I mean, I get that we’re all speculating and that’s th nature of celebrity gossip, etc. but people are making some really strange assumptions about this woman as if we know her personally.
I think the main difference between the two, in my mind, is that when Drew got into this relationship she converted her religion, her appearance became a bit matronly, and she produced two kids in rapid succession. It was a combination of fundamental changes that seemed to happen really quickly and connected specifically to her relationship. With Angelina you can tell that her choices and changes are not connected to a fleeting relationship and have evolved over time. Just my two cents, I really like both of them.
Sad news.
I know, right? This one, for some reason, makes me sad on a personal level. As someone who can relate to the struggle of breaking free from family ties and becoming just oneself period, I really hoped she had found happiness with herself and a man to share just herself period with.
Sometimes a person’s terrible childhood has disastrous effects when it comes to intimate relationships even if they have done a lot of work on themselves. It’s been hinted that she’s hard to be in romantic relationships with because she’s not good with commitment and loss of independence.
She seems depressed from time to time.
It is maybe one of the Wasser splits but in order not to appear like one they did it in April.
Agree with everything you say. It’s very sad that she’s apparently still affected by her past and not able to be in a relationship.
How come no one says things like this about Halle? Instead, Halle is crazy and evil and can’t keep a man.
My first read (because I’m close personal friends with them of course 😉 ) was in the opposite direction. Professional “art consultant” kind of screams dabbling trust fund baby more than mature family man.
I have read his family is very wealthy. And I know what you mean, he does somehow seem like “that guy”.
Well he is the son of the former Chanel CEO Arie Kopelman, so he definitely is not just a regular guy like you and me 🙂
What exactly does an art consultant do? Help me find and buy art that is a good investment? Or help me choose art that complements my decor? More art historian/estate planner or interior decorator?
Great comment! I smiled with this one. And, yes, now that your bring it up about him, it makes sense.
I’m not shocked. She kind of goes from long term relationship to long term relationship, but I think she wanted to try the whole family and kids thing.
Sad. I thought she’d finally found the stable family life she craved. Apparently she was also very close with his parents. Sad all round.
Surprised to hear this.
Drew always said in interviews that the family life & stability she had always craved was something she had found. Especially with her own troubled family history.
And she bent over backwards to please Kopelman & his family. (Didn’t she convert as well?)
Yes she did convert. I’m sad to hear this~I really hoped it would have worked out for her.
Not really surprising. Whenever she talked about him it was always more about his close-knit family, about being accepted by them and having a ‘normal’ family now. He himself barely got a mention. I think she was in love with him as a package deal, not so much as a person.
Agree- sites are posting some of the things she’s said about him in interviews, and she seemed way more taken with being a part of his close-knit family than she was with him. I think she got pregnant and was enchanted with the idea of getting married and being a part of that family and being a mom in a stable family-setting (she took a hard pivot from acting, producing, and directing to the former-actress-lifestyle-thing, which is much more family-friendly) and it was never really about him.
This split does not seem that surprising to me. Based on her In Style magazine interview a few months ago it seemed to me like she was not in love with her husband and only married him because she wanted kids and he would be a good parent to them.
Bingo. I said some of the same things down below. It’s her husband I actually feel sorry for. I imagine (just my opinion) it’s her leaving him and breaking his heart and breaking up the family.
I have the feeling.she is married with a kind decent guy to have children
As much as I like Drew I kinda figured it wouldnt last. I think Will is from a conservative Jewish family and I might be mistaken, but wasnt Drew in the process of converting? This may be a factor. To go from free-spirited, kinda hippie, independent pot smoking adult to a more demure, slightly more conservative person that you’re used to being in order to “fit in” to her new family is hard. I remember an ex telling me he didn’t have tattoos because it was against Jewish law. Wouldn’t Drew be “forbidden” to get tattoos of her kids names as well? Maybe it was a symbol of her newfound “freedom?”
I thought you just couldn’t get buried in a Jewish cemetery with tattoos but I know close to nothing about Judaism so that is probably wrong
while tats are verboten in Judaism, you can get buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have them and a lot of Jews get them now
You can be buried with tattoos. Some forbid it but many don’t. It’s against Jewish law to have them as it is considered a form of mutilation.
Sad to hear but I hope she gets through this ok. I still admire her for the way she cleaned up her career after the horrible childhood and terrible excuses for parents she had, and some of y’all saying she sought stability with this man actually makes sense to me.
And while Hollywood has basically superannuated her as a leading lady like they do to anyone over 35, her Flower Beauty line is apparently selling well and has good reviews. She’s done well at leveraging her name recognition.
This. Sad for her, too. And hope they can work through things to be good friends and mutually parent their daughters.
I’m a major Drew Barrymore fangirl so I think it’s great she’s created a source income for herself outside of show business. I wish she was still cast in movies (without Adam Sandler I can’t stand him) because I love her onscreen. It’s frustrating how Hollywood treats actresses over the age of 35 as disposable.
And yeah, it’s incredible she managed to survive addiction as a teenager and then flourish with no support from her family.
I don’t think we have to worry about Drew’s finances. Her production company is responsible for some very successful movies. She is very, very rich.
I was suspicious when her XMAS card was her and her two daughters. No hubby. I love Drew but she is too much of a romantic, while being too impulsive at the same time.
I always kind-of thought that, based on her comments about the situation, she fell in love with the guy’s family, his reputation, the stability that he provided. She wanted the perfect family life. It always felt to me like she was trying to fit some preconceived notion of the perfect wife and mother and that it wasn’t natural for her. She seems to have self-esteem issues.
I totally agree.
I can definitely see why that would be very attractive to her. And it reminds me of the episode where Carrie dates the guy with erectile dysfunction that had the absolutely fantastic family that she doesn’t want to break up from
A new relationship and two babies back to back. People ooh and aah, but sometimes it isn’t romantic and sweet and amazing. It’s stress and tension on a very young marriage and getting to know a new partner while having babies in close proximity in time. In the interviews she seemed blah about him lately.
I think she married him because she was a certain age and wanted children and he was Mr. Right for Mr. Right Now. Some people on here are saying she changed for him. I don’t believe that. I just believe she was an actress and producer who had accomplished a lot. It’s not like roles were being thrown at her. And she had two babies in quick succession and her priorities were elsewhere. Having one child is a game changer. Two close together, your life is a whirlwind and you are a different person in those beginning years as far as focus. I believe her latest incarnation is who Drew is for right now in this moment in her life.
She didn’t seem to focus much on her husband at all, but is madly in love with her little girls.
This was my thought also. The most stress on my former marriage was the arrival of my son, mellow as he was. I was 39 when I married his dad and it was a marriage of Mr. Right Now…Let’s Make a Baby, though we did have a lot of fun in the early days.
I can imagine having two under two years old (?) would be super stressful. Ultimately I felt myself like a single mom with a kid (son) and a teenager (husband)…with not enough of the freedoms of truly being single. lol.
I thought so too. I also think people underestimate the geography. He’s definitely a New York City guy-and while that was fun at the start-she’s a Southern California girl. The weather, her friends (and if she had post partum depression a good support network is key) it seems like she would rather be in LA.
When she was on Howard Stern she was pretty open about what a struggle marriage is for her….so the seeds were planted. It seemed like things were rocky. It is a shame since this guy seemed really stable, but yeah, it’s probably hard for her to keep it together on a daily basis.
I scrolled all the way down to see if this was an April Fools joke (I hate this day more than any other day). Bummer if this is true.
I hate April Fools too! So stupid. When I first looked at Facebook yesterday morning, the very first thing in my feed was something about Trader Joe’s closing all its stores. My head exploded. Then at the bottom it was all “ha ha, April Fool, suckers!” My head exploded again. Seriously, if you’re old enough to be out of middle school, you’re tool old for April Fool’s jokes. 😡
Always rooting for Drew, but maybe marriage isn’t her thing…
That tattoo is upside down. It irritates the sh!t out of me when people do that. You don’t face a tattoo towards you “because it’s for you to read” just because it’s on your wrist. It’s upside down and I’m surprised any reputable tattoo artist would agree to that.
What? I was under the impression when you got a tattoo you can have it any way you want because it’s your body. She called it “a note” — like she wrote it on her wrist herself as a reminder.
Did she breach tattoo etiquette or something?
All she has to do if somebody wants to read it is lift her arm. I’m fine with it. I contemplated getting a tattoo on my wrist, too, and it would have been facing in my direction, too. To me, the other way around seems upside-down, actually. I’m the one looking at it, for the most part, I’m getting it for myself, so, yeah, I should be able to read it.
A friend of mine has one and it’s facing her as well. If you’re getting a meaningful quote, or message of some sorts to yourself, yes, you better be able to read it! Just my two cents.
Ha ha – are there “rules” to tattooing? That’s funny.
But Drew’s divorce is sad; I grew up with her and love her wild ways. Bet she’ll be an AMAZING single mom.
Will she really be an amazing single mom? If she wants freedom- it will be at least 18 years before she’ll have it. And she will be tied to her ex forever because of the kids. No doubt she loves the little rug rats to pieces, but I wonder if she truly realizes what a commitment she’s made and how the kids won’t be adorable babies forever and how much more difficult it will be sharing them with their dad, who no longer lives with her. That means her children will not always live with her, either. Divorce between two real parents brings in all sorts of complications. Is she strong enough to deal with those? Or is she going to lean emotionally on those two children, as her only family? That can be rough on kids, feeling a responsibility to keep a parent on an even keel long before they’re full grown. Drew has no models from her own childhood to follow except bad ones. She doesn’t want to be like her parents, but that doesn’t mean she won’t find herself more like them in certain ways than she would ever want. I suspect that without their dad around full time, it’s going to be a rocky road for her daughters as they grow older.
So I’m PMSing pretty hard and I realized that was a pretty angry post. My b. No, there are no specific “rules” to tattooing, and no, it doesn’t really matter because it’s her tattoo. If she loves it, that’s all that counts. That said, usually you face a tattoo so that it’s right side up to the public. If Drew were to decide to get a full sleeve up her arm, she would either have an entire sleeve of upside down tattoos, or this one upside down tattoo while all the rest of her tattoos were facing the same direction. Either way, it wouldn’t look too great. But she probably isn’t planning on getting an entire sleeve, and it’s her business. I was just feeling extra snarky last night.
{{{{{{Shambles}}}}}}
Exactly!
She’s left handed and it looks like this may be her handwriting. Maybe that is what she did. Wrote their daughters’ names on her wrist and wanted it tattooed just the way she wrote it.
I totally adore Drew Barrymore (as much as one can adore a total stranger). I hope that the divorce is amicable and she can focus on Olive & Frankie, she obviously loves them and is creating a better childhood for them then the one she was given.
I kind of wonder what this means for Cameron and Benji. It always seemed to me like Cameron got married because everyone else was. They actually say divorce is a little contagious. Seeing someone else move on and regain that freedom can trigger friends and siblings to seek the same.
She is someone else who seems like a completely different person. But she is older and maybe she had moved to a different place.
I always SMH when people say couples stay together or are together for the children. That very very seldom happens. People don’t stay married for kids anymore. I don’t think anyone should. I think you remain close and respectful for your children. But you have to be a full person and happy within yourself in order to be happy. It just seems like she or he woke up and found that they were not happy the way they were.
Do you have children? Because if you do and don’t understand this concept I would be amazed. It is a whole different world and breaking your kids hearts for your own happiness just because marriage can be boring and monotonous is not the easy decision. Shuffling kids back and forth between parents homes is very difficult for all involved and as a therapist I always recommend trying as hard as you can to stay together when there are young children involved as long as there is no abuse or violence as the issue.
I don’t believe any couple should stay together just for their kids.The kids are going to pick up on the tension,friction,resentment,unhappiness,etc.Why would you teach your children that it is OK to settle for a unhappy,toxic relationship.So as a therapist you want them to stay in a unhappy relationship until their kids are what age? 10? 15? In College?
My parents split when I was 19. My sister was 13. There was no abuse. They just married too young and grew apart. They stayed together long enough for me to get to college, and we knew they would never last due to personality issues. That said, even though it was devastating for me, it was horrific for my sister, who was shuffled back and forth and had to deal with the feeling of constantly being torn. My family may have had unhappy parents, but it was a stable home that did provide me with a foundation during my roughest years that my sister did not have and she has struggled with relationships, money, stability, etc. They often say their biggest regret is not waiting those extra few years rather than justifying that her seeing unfulfilled parents would be a negative. Of course, some of that may have happened anyway, but the story is pretty much identical for most of my friends who have also been children of divorce. They ALL wanted their parents to stay together, but those who were out of the house before it happened are more well-adjusted and happy in their own relationships. It is a horrendous trauma for children that is all too often dismissed in this society. If there is abuse or addiction, that is one thing. But if you decide to have children and then decide to divorce just to seek a greater happiness, personal fulfillment, etc before they are of age, then I think it is selfish. I’m a high school teacher, and as much as it pains me to see, the kids from broken homes fare worse at shockingly high levels — like probably 90% — than their counterparts that are from homes where both parents are there. I’m sure not all of those homes have happy, completely satisfied spouses, but their kids have stability.
katD, that’s really good insight, thanks. I feel like lately I’m hearing so much about “it’s worse to stay together for the kids if you’re not happy.” I’m glad to get another perspective, especially on how splitting might affect teens.
My parents stayed together for the kids ten years longer than they should have. So far, 4/4 kids married have also been divorced because not one of us is able to make decisions about relationships that aren’t shaped by our parents. I also strongly believe the stress of my parents relationship contributed heavily to when and how severely two siblings manifested mental illnesses. If you can’t demonstrate a healthy relationship to your kids, do not stay together.
Divorce doesn’t have to mean a “broken home”. That’s a construct from the 80s generation. Your kids don’t have to be shuffled from parent to parent. You, the parent, can shuffle to be with the child. You can be partners in raising your child without dismantling a family structure. But it takes awareness and conscious effort.
I miss seeing Drew in movies.
I agree–maybe she can get back to movies now.
If she holds anything like a menu, tablet, phone the tat is legible to her, I think. I do love hearing about etiquette I’m not familiar with, though.
Drew is always a good watch. Loved her as Little Edie.
She does a good job on TCM (describing her take on classic movies).
I’ve watched the original documentary several times, and was skeptical about her playing Little Edie. She nailed it.
I think he may have squelched some of her spirit because he is a totally different personality from hers. She wanted babies and stability, got it, but now she wants something more, maybe some true love? Just food for thought. Seen a lot of women go through this when they get eager to have kids and have them as someone says above for MR right now Mr Baby Daddy not Mr Forever.
Superficially, It seemed like a marriage of opposites in terms of upbringings and lifestyles and outlook on life.
However, Drew has a unique lifestory which will always challenge her partners, but in this case it felt like she changed herself completely to fit in with him.
Oh well, at least she seemed happy.
Hope this isn’t a spiral trigger that causes her to slip back into the bad sh-t. The only reason I say that is because the last paragraph of the announcement was…strange. Something is trying to be communicated there. Hope she is OK.
I have met so many people who are unfit to be parents and too selfish to take care of anyone besides themselves, but they get married and have children to check these tasks off a list of what everyone is expected do in life. These people ultimately cheat, divorce, or abandon their children. I admire people who can be honest with themselves and know that for whatever reason due to their upbringing or personality that they are better off independent. It saves those people who are willing to work at having a monogamous long-term relationship or want to become responsible parents a lot of heartbreak.
This made me get the feels 😢
I’ve never commented on these threads before as it wasn’t appropriate but my family have been family friends with the Kopelmans for a long time and I know Will well (and via him Drew). It’s very sad news. They were actually a lovely couple. The kids are divine so hopefully they’ll be ok.
Wow. This post made the news feel even sadder.
I too hope all involved and especially the daughters will be ok
🙁
I hate when I read things like this. It takes me out of my mindless celebrity gossip over coffee mornings, and into feeling for them as people. Sad 🙁
Oh, that’s sad.
I don’t “get” tattoos, but I am especially baffled as to why you’d need to tattoo your children’s names on your body. Even if you work and travel a lot, can you not just remember their names? Look at a pic on your phone?
I’m sure that’s why she got it – because she can’t remember their names.
I don’t get pics on the phone.If you want to remember what your children look like,use your memory.
#sarcasm
The poor babies–that’s who I feel sorry for, now they will have a step dad, and eventually a step mother, and then maybe another…the baggage goes on and on.
What’s wrong with more people in your family? It’s not baggage. My parents are still together, but many of my friends have step-parents that they love.
True. My brother is a wonderful step-parent, as is my brother-in-law. They love the children as their own. But not all step-parents are great. And if more divorces follow with step-parents kids bond with, this is not good for children.
What’s sad is E News says she wants to move back to L.A. That is sad for the children and for Will as their father. He will lose out on being a day-to-day father. The children lose out on having their father in their lives day to day. Drew got the babies she wanted and can go off and live the life she wants, but there is a cost.
For now she is staying in NYC. I do hope that Will gets half custody as he seems to be a devoted dad and shouldn’t be deprived of that. That will change if she moves like she wants to. But while in NYC if he gets half custody, Drew has now lost her day to day life with the kids and is with them fifty percent less.
This is the reality of divorce.
Sure! Kids having to split their lives between different households and dealing with their parents’ new love lives is a blast…
Love her, but they seemed like a total mismatch.
I agree.
Who knows what went on, but even a happy marriage is hard.
She mentioned that although she hadn’t converted to Judaism she wanted to raise her children conservatively and traditionally. She also had a number of tattoos removed from her body which, despite most Rabbis saying it’s not a prohibition to converting, she seems to feel make her more acceptable to the faith. Even the way she dressed became very conservative. I gather she’s submerged quite a big part of herself in order to fit in and that can only create problems and resentments in the long run.
That tattoo reads “Olivc and Frankic”
You can tell she used her handwriting for the tat, it says olive and frankie in her handwriting. I make my e’s very similar.
i thought it said olive and freakie
No idea if his is it, but having your wings clipped is no fun. I found someone who doesn’t mind my free spirit and corky ways! Happily married here! BUT I will say, babies change everything. It can be a HUGE adjustment into the rolls of being a father AND a husband, a mother AND a wife! It can consume you if you aren’t careful. You will drive yourself mad trying to be ‘perfect’ spouse and parent. I talk to lots of people who say it takes years to adjust, we are finally adjusting our expectations of each other and our new daily routine at 6 months into it. Maybe they never fell into a good routine or just felt like roommates for a few years and are sick of it? I’m guessing here.
Like everyone else, I too am sad to see the marriage not work out.
I recall reading some interviews she did around the time of her marriage and getting this weird, creepy vibe about it. Converting to a fairly conservative form of Judaism for him and his family, changing herself so much, wanting so desperately to be immersed in a very different kind of life…
There’s the natural set of compromises and ongoing dynamic changes that partners make to sustain a heathy relationship. But this never felt like that to me from the things she kept saying. It felt very one-way.
Sad for her and hope the kids will be ok.
Here’s a thought: maybe it wasn’t Drew’s fault and maybe it wasn’t her husband’s fault that the marriage failed. Maybe it was both of them.
Relationships are hard as hell and making them work requires commitment from both parties involved. It’s not always a case of “she wanted out” or “he wanted out”. Sometimes two people have tremendous love for each other and they simply cannot make it work.
I want to carve this comment in stone and polish it until it is gleaming, and place it in a beautiful spot so more people can read it, think about it, absorb the simple truth of it, and walk away wiser and more tolerant for having read it.
Thank you, Kitten, for putting it so perfectly.
Love you, Drew.
I’m not surprised, but I am sorry to hear the news. I feel like I grew up with Drew: E.T. was one of the first movies I can remember seeing in the theater. I have been impressed with the way she seemed to get her life together and rise above her family’s issues. Will (and his family) seemed to be what she wanted and needed, but it can be difficult to try to fit into such a close, conservative family and still retain a sense of independence. I’m sure there are a hundred reasons the marriage didn’t work and, in the end, probably both are at fault to some degree.
I just hope Drew and Will can settle the divorce quickly and amicably for the sake of their children.
I am not surprised, but I am sad to hear the news. I feel like I grew up with Drew: E.T. was one of the first movies I can remember seeing in the theater. I have been impressed with the way she seemed to get her life together and rise above her family’s demons. Will (and his family) seemed to be what she wanted and needed, but it can be hard trying to fit into a close, conservative family and still maintain your independence. Like any other relationship, I’m sure there were a hundred reasons it didn’t work out and I hope Drew and Will can settle the divorce quickly and amicably for the sake of their children.
Very sad to hear this too, though not entirely surprised. I hope they can move forward in whatever way they see best for themselves and the girls.
She had a very dysfunctional childhood and relationship with her mother and that can create a lot of issues as you grow up and have children of your own. It brings back a lot of the pain and memories you might have been able to suppress or numb by drugs and alcohol when you were younger. I know a lot of women that were able to cope when they were in their twenties and thirties but as they got older, they found that a lot of the anger and sadness that they had about their childhoods began to really assert itself and it came out in a myriad of ways that required them to face it and work through it so they could be better parents for their kids and let go of the pain that was surrounding them. That kind of childhood creates a lot of trust issues about love and relationship problems ar not uncommon. It’s very hard to overcome the kind of childhood she experienced. A lot of what you learn about love and trust happens then and becomes very ingrained, as does self talk and feelings of worthlessness and low self esteem. No matter how successful someone make seem, no matter how much they look like they have it together, you never know what kind of battle they are fighting on the inside. I hope she can work through any issues she has and find true happiness, love and trust.
I’m saddened by this, although I don’t know the circumstances behind it, I just wish her complete happiness. But I think the tattoo isn’t very well done. It looks like it says Oive and Freakie. Maybe it was done in her handwriting. Either way, unless I knew the name, I would not see it.
Not surprised at all.
Much can be said about Drew’s childhood but I hoped she could make this relationship work.
Not every relationship has to be until death do we part. Sometimes relationships run their course and people need to separate. It shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a failure.
It’s sad but not surprising. I remember reading a story on here towards the end of last year when she talked about her husband not being a priority, and I believe some people predicted divorce back then.
I’m going to put on my judgmental hat and say this: I get people growing apart after a lengthy relationship/marriage. But these two were married just over three years. That implies to me, that they probably weren’t suited for each other in the first place and one or both of them probably went into this marriage for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, that is all too common. And again, I feel bad for the kids. No matter what happens it’s going to be difficult especially considering that Drew wants to go back to CA and her husband (I’m guessing) wants to stay in NY.
Maybe Drew is one of those people who always wanted one thing and once she got it, she realized it wasn’t what she wanted afterall. Life is tricky.
I wish them all well and hope they can have a good relationship for their kids. I’ve always had a sweet spot for Drew after all she’s been through.
I can’t remember how long they dated. I feel like one minute we found out they were a couple then the next they were married/pregnant. So everything with them was very quick.
I looked at some back threads.. And yes if you look at her interviews you can see how sh changed herself. I’m sure part of it was becoming a mom.. but some of it was about him.
I had forgotten that she was with Justin Long..kind of on and off. hmmm maybe they will be on again if they are both single. I hope she finds herself.
I remember past interviews where she talked about how she was making herself over to be the perfect, conservative wife and mother to match her new husband, and was even having her tattoos lasered off because he did not approve of them. There is a limit to how much you can remake yourself to suit someone else. This was bound to fail. That and… sometimes the price you pay for getting what you want is getting what you wanted.
Was there an interview with her stating that? All I saw was it in Star Magazine (which fabricates most things) and then repeated on other gossips sites from the article in Star about getting rid of the tattoos for her husband or religion Is there a real interview coming from Drew’s lips about that, doing it for her husband?
I also read in an interview with Drew where she talked about becoming more conservative because of her children, once she had children. No mention of her husband.
Maybe she has talked about what you’re saying in relation to her husband and I just haven’t read it or maybe it’s in her book. I imagine she did change partly due to the relationship she had and having two children and hitting 40, a combination of things.
I’m saddened at what looks like cutting scars under the children’s names.
Seriously? I don’t see it
In California,it is always joint custody unless on patent is abusive or a drug addict. And the courts won’t let you leave state unless the other parent agrees. Maybe NY state divorce law is more flexible.
I thought Drew was an ex-addict/alcoholic. When did she start drinking again? I saw she has her own wine label and is schilling that because of her love of wine. I guess it’s been years, over a decade maybe, and I never noticed. I found some posts on a Justin Long story about seeing her drinking back during her Justin Long period. A poster said she saw her out with her girlfriends who were pretty hammered at Chateau Marmont. That was 2008.
The interview with her pushing her wine label mentioned she had a couple of glasses of wine during the interview. Is that possible to once be an alcoholic but start back years later and have it under control? I’ve never had a drinking problem, so I don’t know. I know Bowie told an interviewer he can’t even drink, and the interview said, why not even a drink, and Bowie said his drugs and alcohol abuse hurt a lot of people he loved and he would never risk sliding back into it again. The same thing with Dave Gahan of Depeche mode, ex-heroin addict. He said he has an addictive personality and even a glass of wine could slowly start him back down a path again.
I wish her well. Maybe just maybe marriage isn’t for her and she hasn’t figured it out yet.
Well I was coming here to say y’all are too hard on Drew and that Will might not be that nice, but after reading the insiders scoop I think it was probably more that Drew suppressed her own personality and tendencies to become this perfect mom/wife and she just couldn’t sustain it.
Sad for them to be divorcing. Everyone has these theories on how/why they got married. I just assumed they got married because she was pregnant.
On a different note: I would be willing to take him off her hands. He’s a cutie.