Charlize Theron And Drew Barrymore Open Up About Tumultuous Upbringings And Why They Haven’t Dated Anyone In Over Five Years

Charlize Theron and Drew Barrymore have something in common.

Theron appeared on a recent episode of Global’s “The Drew Barrymore Show”, with both speaking candidly on their difficult upbringings.

“I was raised in a country during a time that was filled with a lot of turmoil, apartheid, I was raised during the apartheid era. I was white and I was privileged,” Theron explained. “I witnessed how my privilege for years, while I was a young child, got me to places that didn’t afford to other people with different skin colour and it really traumatized me.”

“I had my own family issues my father was an alcoholic, he was really sick, there was a time there was no AA in South Africa,” Theron continued. “I’m not so eager to jump into relationships, because I am so proud of the fact that my kids live in the home where they feel safe. And they are never going to have to walk on eggshells. They are never going to have to come down and worry about how their day is going to go because mom’s boyfriend is not… I don’t want any of that because that’s how I was raised and It leaves marks on you for sure.”

Alcoholism is something Barrymore can relate to.

“My dad was an alcoholic too and it was because of all those things that made us the parents we are today. The women we are,” Barrymore replied. “I’m so grateful for my wacky circumstances, because they’ve made me so not a victim and so demanding of having goodness around me. And being such a protective lion and maybe I wouldn’t have been like that had I not seen the crap I saw growing up.”

“Yeah, right, we’ll never know,” Theron added. “I do want to say this, I love that about you. I love that you have just made such a definitive decision to just go through your life with joy and happiness and to actively move towards that and you do that so, so beautifully.”

Theron and Barrymore also touched on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and taking a break from relationships and dating.

“It is strange for people to, kind of, wrap their heads around it,” Theron said. “I’ve been on a few dates, but I haven’t dated anybody for over five years.”

Barrymore said she’d also been on a break from dating, with Theron adding: “I feel like I’m in a place in my life where you’ve got to come with a lot of game, not the kind of game that we think of, the kind of game that’s like my life is really good so you better be able to bring that and maybe better because I just won’t accept anything less. And my life with my children and with my incredible adopted family that I have around me I don’t long for that much.

“I can honestly say this on my life, I don’t feel lonely. Once I had my children, it’s not that it replaces something or makes you less interested in something else,” she went on. “I’m still firing on all cylinders. I think your priorities are in a place that is of high demand because it’s a lot of work to be a parent. Part of that is at the end of the day I get in bed and I go ‘I wouldn’t want this day to be anything different.’”