Glamorous Trash: Drew Barrymore’s Memoir Little Girl Lost (with Emily V. Gordon) [REPLAY]

Podcast: Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast
Host: Chelsea Devantez
Guest: Emily V. Gordon
Episode Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode revisits Drew Barrymore’s first memoir, Little Girl Lost (published in 1990 and written when Drew was just 14). Chelsea and guest Emily V. Gordon (writer, former therapist, and co-writer of The Big Sick) dissect the book’s wild narrative: Drew’s early stardom, rapid fall into addiction, and her deeply dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Jade Barrymore. The discussion also critiques the memoir’s controversial ghostwriter Todd Gold, examines the societal treatment of child stars, and reflects on the pain and resilience revealed in Drew’s story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Why Little Girl Lost?

• Emily insisted on covering Little Girl Lost for its unique rawness despite its out-of-print status. The hosts discuss the thrill and outrage of tracking down rare copies (09:47–10:46).
• The memoir, written by Drew as a teenager, exposes her descent into drugs and alcohol starting at age nine, and was intended to save her reputation after multiple rehab stints (01:25–03:35).
• Both Chelsea and Emily identify with themes of growing up too soon, reflecting on their own adolescent challenges and familial hardships (04:01–05:15).

About the Book's Structure & Ghostwriting Drama

• The book alternates between Drew’s first-person accounts and third-person narrative segments by ghostwriter Todd Gold, who mainly reconstructs Jade's perspective. This leads to jarring tonal shifts and a blatant defense of Jade (12:29–15:38).
• Chelsea launches a passionate critique of Todd Gold’s choices:
  • "Never in my life have I been more angry at a ghostwriter. ... I am happy to be the first [enemy] because I need an explanation. I need a follow up article, an apology for getting this girl's story wrong." (13:36)
  • Todd’s "objective" sections frequently contradict Drew’s voice, use pompous vocabulary ("imbroglios"), and awkwardly venerate Jade, leading Chelsea to speculate about Gold’s motivations.
• Emily provides an alternative, therapist-informed empathy for Jade, suggesting that parental failure might stem from trauma and lack of tools: "It's a tough thing...oh, it's really hard to get a kid who you've made into a grownup...to go back to being a kid" (23:00–24:03).

Drew’s Hollywood Childhood – Isolation and Early Addiction

• Drew, offspring of Hollywood royalty, lands ET at seven, which launches her career—and her alienation. She befriends the ET puppet: "I knew ET wasn’t real, but, like, I also—he was also my best friend, though..." (20:14).
• The loneliness is compounded in school, where teachers and peers bully Drew for her fame and weight. Both hosts share their own adolescent “cosmic cow/hang tits/pleather pants” anecdotes (30:30–31:57).
• By age eight, Drew is drinking champagne on set, with no adult supervision, foreshadowing the consequences of unchecked stardom (29:59–30:30).

Jade Barrymore: Complicated Villain or Victim?

• Jade's own failures, addiction, ambition, and trauma are considered. While Emily strives to see Jade’s humanity, Chelsea struggles to forgive the neglect and gaslighting found throughout the memoir.
• The memoir repeatedly shifts blame from Jade to Drew for addiction and misbehavior. Jod (the blended voice of Jade and Todd Gold) rationalizes choices that placed Drew in harm's way (27:46–28:23).
• Notably, Jade’s later publication of a sex manual—Secrets of World Class Erotic Tips and Sensual Stories—is met with disbelief and grim humor (49:16–50:18).

The Club Scene & Sexualization of Child Stars

• Drew frequents L.A. clubs at age 9–13. The book attempts to sanitize this, describing club nights as “business events,” yet it's clear Drew is unsupervised and exposed to adult environments (31:57–34:39).
• An especially disturbing episode involves Emilio Estevez; hosts dissect the blurry, uncomfortable lines between childhood crush and adult male behavior (36:15–37:27).

Rehab, Relapse, and the Media Circus

• Drew cycles through rehab, with Jade pulling her out repeatedly for work commitments (51:34). When Drew relapses post-rehab, Jod blames “an abdication of willpower,” angering the hosts for its simplistic take on addiction (67:16–67:47).
• The memoir is cast as a reaction to impending tabloid exposés—fueling skepticism over how much writing agency Drew truly held (65:23–66:17).

Aftermath: Emancipation, Sorrow, and Reinvention

• The memoir’s ending tries to strike hopeful notes, but Chelsea and Emily agree it reads as heartbreakingly sad. Drew’s lack of childhood and the emotional toll of trading places with her mother dominate their takeaways (75:59–78:18).
• Chelsea uncovers post-book milestones:
  • Drew’s legal emancipation from Jade at 14—a move not detailed in the book.
  • Her continuous reinvention: party girl, businesswoman, rom-com queen, and later talk show host—each phase reflecting attempts at healing and self-definition.
  • The irony (and silence) of Drew producing a line of Barrymore Wines, despite her public struggles with addiction (80:50–81:54).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ghostwriters:
  Chelsea (13:36): "Never in my life have I been more angry at a ghostwriter … I need an explanation. I need a follow up article, an apology for getting this girl's story wrong."
• On Child Stardom:
  Chelsea (20:49): "A dog is biting her. She doesn't cry. ... it's a metaphor for the rest of Drew's life."
• On Growing Up Too Soon:
  Emily (24:03): "It’s really hard to get a kid who you’ve made into a grownup ... to go back to being a kid."
• On Blame and Single Parenthood:
  Chelsea (61:09): "They try and blame a lot of it on single parent homes ... it fucking bothered me." Emily (61:09): "That, to me, I was like, oh, that was the mindset of 1990 ... we weren’t thinking about kid stars as people at all" (41:44).
• On Competing with a Hot Mom:
  Chelsea (78:34): "When you have a really hot mom and you're not very hot and ... you're like, why? Why won't I look like that? ... it's so, so painful."
• On Drew's Resilience:
  Chelsea (86:13): "She is a walking miracle who is constant positivity, sometimes to her own detriment ... what a gift to the world to have someone with that much light survive all this and keep her light intact."

Important Segment Timestamps

• Choosing Little Girl Lost & Format Rant: 09:47–15:40
• Early Fame, Bullies, and Clubs: 19:09–34:39
• ET as Best Friend: 20:14–20:49
• Club Culture and Sexualization: 31:57–37:27
• Jade’s Sex Book Reveal: 49:16–50:18
• Rehab, Parental Blame, and Aftermath: 51:34–67:47
• Drew’s Emancipation and Later Life: 79:06–82:57
• Thank Yous & Closing Thoughts: 85:25–86:45

Tone & Language

• The episode is candid, at times irreverently funny, but always fiercely protective of Drew’s child self.
• Both hosts blend empathy, personal anecdotes, and sharp cultural critique.
• The language is direct—often calling out hypocrisy, uncomfortable power dynamics, and the failures of adults tasked with “protecting” child stars.

Final Thoughts

Chelsea and Emily conclude with heartfelt thank-yous to Drew for her honesty, weirdness, and improbable resilience. Their discussion highlights not just the exploitative machinery of Hollywood, but the lasting wounds (and strange optimism) of surviving a lost childhood. For listeners, this episode is a powerful meditation on celebrity, trauma, poor parenting, and the weird alchemy of survival.

Guest Info:
Follow Emily V. Gordon @EmilyVGordon. Watch The Big Sick.

For More:
See Chelsea’s Instagram for book club recaps and rare memorabilia. Join the conversation on Patreon and the Facebook group.

This summary skips all ad reads, intro, outro, and non-content sections for clarity.