Why Drew Barrymore's divorce statement contained the word 'failure'

Drew Barrymore (Getty Images)

While post-divorce positivity shouldn’t be discouraged, forceful messages of self-empowerment can be overwhelming for those in a similar situation who feel anything but. On some occasions, honesty and frankness can be refreshing.

Drew Barrymore announced her divorce in a typically determined message which then contained a more surprising word: “failure”.

“Sadly our family is separating legally, although we do not feel this takes away from us being a family,” she said in a statement at the time. “Divorce might make one feel like a failure, but eventually, you start to find grace in the idea that life goes on.

“Our children are our universe, and we look forward to living the rest of our lives with them as the first priority.”

The actress told Chelsea Handler that divorcing her partner of four years and father to her children was all the more painful because she was forced to separate in the public eye.

In comments that may resonate with newly-divorced people wondering why they aren't feeling as determined as their counterparts, she explained: “I put in my statement about divorce the word 'failure' because it's so honest. Like, when you get divorced, you break up with somebody and you're like, 'Yeah, that didn't work,' and you get divorced, [but] when you get divorced you're like, 'I'm the biggest failure. This is the biggest failure.' It's so shameful and hard to actually go through that, even privately.”

However, Barrymore said her friends have become the support network that are pulling her through the other side to undertanding that a split isn't a failure.

“Everyone has just been so cool and chill and nice about everything that it quelled my own fears and demons about how we sort of have to go through things in life.”