David Crosby has explained how he came to take in a 14-year-old Drew Barrymore as she battled a drugs and alcohol addiction.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter, of The Byrds and later Crosby, Stills & Nash, allowed the former child star to live with him and his wife Jan for two months in 1989, after she became legally emancipated from her mother.
Barrymore, who had shot to fame in Steven Spielberg’s ET: The Extra-Terrestrial but developed addiction problems in the aftermath, had already spent months in a rehabilitation clinic to get sober.
While appearing on Howard Stern’s US radio show, Crosby recalled how he and Barrymore crossed paths.
“She was in a facility that was run by a friend of ours, and they said, ‘Oh, s***, 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 and it can’t be with her parents.’
“And she came [and] stayed with us for a while. 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. You try to do stuff, and you’re not sure how it’s going to work out, I think that one worked out. I think she became a responsible human being and is a nice person.”
Crosby himself battled a cocaine addiction in the Seventies and Eighties, and spent 11 months in prison in 1983 on drugs and weapon possession charges. He told Stern that he is mostly sober today, but admitted to being “a pothead hippie”.
Last year, Barrymore described her adolescent self as “out of control”, and recalled being placed in an institution by her mother at the height of her addiction problems.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here. In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
