© 2026 ABC News

Barrymore then spoke more about the evolution of her relationship with her own mother, whom she said is now in a \"really good place\" after many years of separation.

\"I -- for 20 or 30 years -- felt toxic inside, that I had to keep separating myself from her to gain an autonomy and a structure and boundaries and burn my hand on the stove and learn and everything on my own,\" she said.

\"I realized that her and I were friends -- we were not parent and child, and therefore I had to completely relearn what parent child dynamic is,\" she continued.

The talk show host said they were eventually able to find common ground later in her life.

\"It took me a long time and I couldn't have a relationship with her until I figured that out for myself and could come to her as a woman -- and not a damaged child and not have that baggage,\" Barrymore said. \"I didn't want to carry it. I didn't want to project that on to her, I didn't want to feel guilty because I didn't have this magical relationship with her.\"

\"We would come together when we were whole people and meet on a different playing field,\" she added.

She said that evolution proved to her that change is possible. \"Boy, were we thrown in a blender, as far as parent and child,\" she shared about her relationship with her mom. \"And I told my own kids, 'I will never be your friend ... I'm your parent. I'm not your friend.'\"

The actress has two daughters, Frankie, 7, and Olive, 8, with her ex-husband Will Kopelman.

You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/demi-lovato-recalls-breadwinner-teen-led-family-tension/story?id=78062007","legacySlug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-recalls-breadwinner-teen-led-family-tension-78062007","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:55","publishDate":"06-03-2021","updatedTime":"15:55","updatedDate":"06-03-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"Demi Lovato at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., Nov. 15, 2020. ","credit":"Rich Polk/e! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-file-gty-ml-210603_1622727434503_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/3/2021 15:55:58 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":78062007,"headline":"Demi Lovato talks navigating early fame ","mediaAssetTitle":"DEMI LOVATO BREADWINNER","description":"The artist spoke about earning money early in their life and its impact. ","duration":"3:10","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/04/210402_gma_demi_0849_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["77529811","77777882","78015681"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"May 6, 2021","headline":"Demi Lovato opens up on her eating disorder recovery: 'I still struggle. Daily.'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-opens-eating-disorder-recovery-struggle-daily-77529811","id":77529811,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato opens up on her eating disorder recovery: 'I still struggle. Daily.'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-file-gty-ml-210506_1620308547713_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Rich Fury/Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"May 19, 2021","headline":"Demi Lovato comes out as nonbinary, will use they/them pronouns","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-binary-theythem-pronouns-77777882","id":77777882,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato comes out as nonbinary, will use they/them pronouns","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-file-gty-ml-210519_1621430838508_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Christopher Polk/e! Entertainmen/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"June 1, 2021","headline":"Demi Lovato reveals what held them back from coming out as nonbinary ","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-reveals-held-back-coming-nonbinary-sooner-78015681","id":78015681,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato reveals what held them back from coming out as nonbinary ","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/lovato-gty-rc-210601_1622554057928_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images ","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Demi Lovato talks navigating early fame ","description":"The artist spoke about earning money early in their life and its impact. ","duration":"3:10","uploadDate":"06-03-2021","publication":"06-03-2021","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/04/210402_gma_demi_0849_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/04/210402_gma_demi_0849_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/demi-lovato-recalls-breadwinner-teen-led-family-tension-78062007"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133482839","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Demi Lovato talks navigating early fame ","pubTime":"11:55","pubDate":"06-03-2021","modTime":"11:55","modDate":"06-03-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":78062007,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Demi Lovato talks navigating early fame ","mediaAssetTitle":"DEMI LOVATO BREADWINNER","videoId":78062007,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-recalls-breadwinner-teen-led-family-tension-78062007"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/78062007","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/78062007","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};