Drew Barrymore had a very emotional conversation with TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney on her show, The Drew Barrymore Show, on Monday.
During the course of their conversation about Mulvaney sharing her transition on TikTok for the past year, the pair talked about how they shut out the hate and stay positive.
Mulvaney has been very open about her transition progress, sharing her experiences via her incredibly popular TikTok series Days of Girlhood. That openness has garnered a lot of fabulously supportive comments and interactions with viewers.
But it has also resulted in a lot of people feeling emboldened to be openly and ludicrously hateful towards Mulvaney—just because she is transgender and sharing her experiences with the world.
Barrymore and Mulvaney started out talking about Days of Girlhood and the vulnerability of sharing such a personal journey on such a public platform.
Mulvaney shared she received valuable wisdom from actress Laverne Cox about keeping some things for herself.
"She said to keep some things private for myself, and I couldn't agree more in the way that there were a few moments this year where I was like 'was I actually ready to say that?'"
"But now, since meeting her and having that moment, I go 'Okay, what would Laverne do?' and I actually have stopped myself from making a few videos to make sure that I was actually ready to talk about those things."
Barrymore brought up one of Mulvaney's most famous fans on TikTok—Lady Gaga—and Mulvaney had a total fangirl moment.
"Oh my gosh, I love her. I had the Born This Way poster on my wall, and every video there's like a little something from her and I can't wait to meet her, that's the best part."
"I will say there's so much hatred, and drama, and you know — just things get convoluted."
"But getting to meet my role models, even you [Barrymore] today, is like — it's the best part."
Barrymore was visibly touched by Mulvaney saying she is one of her role models.
But she directed the conversation to that negativity, asking how Mulvaney deals with it.
"Let me ask you about the negativity, how have you dealt with it and what's an approach you take? What's your self-talk? What do you filter?"
Mulvaney answered she still reads the comments on her videos.
"I still read the comments, but there is so much hatred directed to the trans community right now, it's everywhere. And I think the greatest weapon that I can contribute right now is trans joy, and comedy, and talking about hard subjects, and really intricate moments of a transition.
"And try to let everybody in to see that, you know, I'm not a monster. I'm not somebody that's trying to do anything but be myself and be happy."
Mulvaney told Barrymore:
"It's interesting 'cause I look at someone like you, and I can't imagine anybody disliking you."
Barrymore, who was already holding Mulvaney's hand, responded with tears in her eyes, "Oh, please." and moved to kneel on the floor in front of her.
She continued:
"Do you know — do you want to know ironically who dislikes me the most sometimes? Myself."
Mulvaney responded:
"Oh, me too. Oh!"
The two hugged and Mulvaney moved to kneel on the floor with Barrymore and the pair continued their conversation there.
She asked Barrymore:
"You've asked me now, you've asked me what I would do to combat the hate, right? But what do you do? [...] You've been doing it a little longer than I have."
Barrymore—just 7 years old when she played Gertie in E.T. the Extra Terrestrial—has been in the spotlight since she was a child and knows what it's like to have people disparage her on very public platforms.
"Well you know, it's funny, 'cause when I was a kid — starting with 'E.T.' — it was the first time I was introduced to film reviews [Barrymore used air quotes], which are basically social media."
"But I felt like all these reviews — and it could be a 'Charlie's Angels,' it could be an 'E.T.,' it could be 'The Wedding Singer,' everything in between — if you read reviews, just like on social media, you are pretty much guaranteed a 50/50. Some like it, some don't."
"So you've got to be willing to bear down and brace for it."
Mulvaney shared how she responds, or indeed doesn't respond at all, to the hate.
"Sometimes I think the greatest response can be in the next joyous video or in the next win that you have. That just goes to show you are continuing on, and whatever those people are projecting onto you, it isn’t actually penetrating."
Barrymore agreed with Mulvaney and started to make another comment, but Mulvaney excitedly realized where they were sitting.
"I'm sorry, I just realized that I'm sitting on the floor with Drew!"
You can view their emotional and joyous interview below:
Of course, the online reaction to the show proved both Barrymore and Mulvaney's points about online hate, with Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) and other bigots throwing a fit that Barrymore was so supportive of a transgender woman.
There were many who strongly supported both Barrymore and Mulvaney, though.
Some people definitely seem to enjoy being hateful online, but there's a lot of love out there too.