Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has candidly shared why dating men in their 20s is completely off the table for her now that she’s 50, admitting the idea makes her feel “grossed out.”
The actress and talk show host opened up about her dating life during a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, where she was joined by television personality Ross Mathews and Food Network star Sunny Anderson.
While discussing modern dating, Mathews, 46, reminded viewers that dating is supposed to be enjoyable. “Can everybody remember that dating is supposed to be fun? You know, like, go out and just have fun,” said Mathews, who married husband Wellinthon García in 2022.
Barrymore, however, wasn’t entirely convinced. The 50 First Dates star joked about her recent dating experiences, saying, “Can you tell the men I go on dates with that? Because they have lost the memo. I love to, like, date. I’m not kidding. I’ve had a bad run.”
The conversation took a turn when Anderson asked whether Barrymore had considered dating younger men in their 20s. Barrymore shut the idea down immediately.
“You know what? No — I’m totally grossed out by that,” the Charlie’s Angels actress replied. “No, I have children and it seems wrong now.”
Barrymore shares two daughters, aged 13 and 11, with her ex-husband, art consultant Will Kopelman.
Anderson offered a different perspective, sharing that she had dated men in their 20s and found the experience enjoyable. “I have tried the 20-somethings and it was fabulous!” she said, noting that she was in her 40s at the time.
Mathews followed up by asking Anderson about the nature of those relationships, prompting her to explain that casual dating worked because expectations were clear. However, she emphasized that serious dating is different.
“If it’s real dating, I need to know everything upfront,” Anderson said. “I wanna know where you stand politically, whether you think I have the right to make decisions for my own body, what TV shows you watch and why. I wanna weed them out early.”
Barrymore has frequently spoken openly about her love life on her talk show, offering unfiltered insights into dating, relationships, and navigating romance later in life—an honesty that continues to resonate with viewers.