Did This In-Flight Magazine Fake an Interview With Drew Barrymore?
Fasten your seatbelts and return your tray tables to their upright positions, because this high-flying story of intercontinental celebrity-media intrigue is about to get turbulent.
The supposed writer of a purported interview with Drew Barrymore published in an in-flight magazine has come forward, denying allegations that the admittedly bizarre and out-of-character interview is a fake.
It all started earlier this week when a Twitter user shared clips of a supposed interview with Barrymore featured in Horus magazine, a free publication available on EgyptAir flights.
The passenger's photos quickly went viral, grabbing attention for the article's somewhat off-putting focus on Barrymore's role as a mother, not her work in front of or behind the camera. The piece also claimed that the Hollywood icon is stepping away from acting and producing altogether to focus on being a mom.
"Despite being unstable in her relationships most of her life, despite the several unsuccessful marriages and despite the busy life of stardom that dominated her life for several years; the beautiful American Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has recently decided to temporary take an unlimited vacation to play her most crucial role as a mother," journalist Aida Tekla wrote in the profile.
In another excerpt, Tekla seemed to shade Barrymore's personal history with the men in her life:
“It is known that Barrymore has had almost 17 relationships, engagements and marriages ... the behaviour is only natural since she lacked the male role model in her life after her parents’ divorce when she was only 9 years. Ever since that time, she has been subconsciously seeking attention and care from a male figure; but unfortunately things do not always go as planned and she has not yet succeeded in any relationship for various reasons.”
Perhaps even more bizarre, however, were Barrymore's strangely off-brand quotes included in the piece.
When asked about gaining weight during pregnancy (itself a super sexist and weird thing to ask someone), Barrymore reportedly responded, "I feel overwhelmed when someone tells me that I have regained my image and managed to lose that extra weight, especially that I felt depressed due to the significant increase in my weight after delivering Frankie. However, I find this a great opportunity to encourage every woman who is overweight to work on regaining her beauty and body, especially that it is not as hard as one may think; it is all about determination and following the appropriate diet under the supervision of a physician."
Well okay, then!
On Wednesday (October 3), someone came forward on Twitter to address the allegations that the interview was fake.
While Tekla (Takla on Twitter) admitted some edits were made that were out of her control, she maintained that she spoke to Barrymore (or "Barrimoor," as she spelled it) for the piece, claiming the interview took place in New York City.
Meanwhile, EgyptAir has been responding to users on Twitter, insisting that "former HFPA president" Aida Tekla was responsible for the story. (Aida Takla, not Tekla, is the former president. It's still unclear if the two are one in the same.)
Though EgyptAir stands by the authenticity of the interview and the identity of the writer, a rep for the actress told the Huffington Post that Barrymore “did not participate."
Something tells us this story is not going to have a smooth descent into reality.