Drew Barrymore has opened up about her divorce from ex-husband Will Kopelman, admitting that she still hasn't 'fully recovered.'

The actress and presenter, 49, split from actor Will, 46, in 2016 after four years of marriage and the former couple co-parent daughters Olive, 12, and Frankie, 10.

Getting candid about her split during Friday's episode of her talk show, Drew told guests Joy Behar and Susie Essman that their separation ultimately 'destroyed' her.

'I think, for me, when I got divorced from my kids' dad, I don't think I have fully recovered from that in the sense of I just...,' she said.

'I was so invested in that plan.'

Susie, 69, pointed out that having children together can change the dynamic of a relationship.

'When you have kids together, that really changes things,' she said.

Joy, 82, added: 'Well you never get rid of them, once you have a kid.'

Drew agreed: 'You can never get rid of them. We're stuck together for life. We've grown a lot through the last 14 years of our union with our kids.'

'The actual break from the person is tough as well,' Joy added. 'I don't recommend divorce. It's really a drag.'

'Yeah,' Drew said. 'It destroyed me.'

In 2022, Drew told People magazine that she found her split from Will 'cripplingly difficult.'

'It was just trying to numb the pain and feel good — and alcohol totally did that for me,' she told the publication.

'The drinking thing for me was a constant, like, "You cannot change. You are weak and incapable of doing what's best for you. You keep thinking you will master this thing, and it's getting the better of you."'

The star - who comes from Hollywood royalty - famously battled addiction as a teen and eventually beat it but her dependence on alcohol felt familiar.

She said: 'After the life I planned for my kids didn't work out — I almost think that was harder than the stuff [I went through] as a kid. It felt a lot more real because it wasn't just me.

'It was about these kids that I cared so much about. And then I probably cared so much that I was only giving to them and not taking care of myself. It was a messy, painful, excruciating walk through the fire and come back to life kind of trajectory.'

Will went on to marry Vogue fashion editor Alexandra Michler in August 2021. 

Drew has been married three times. Before Will, she was married to comedian and filmmaker Tom Green for one year between 2001 and 2002.

She was previously wed to Jeremy Thomas between 1994 and 1995.

Last month, Drew's ex-husband Tom announced his engagement to his new bride-to-be Amanda.

Taking to Threads, he shared several cute snaps of his new fiancée showing off her new ring featuring a large diamond.

He captioned the post: 'Big news! Amanda and I are engaged! I am the luckiest guy in the world. 

'I love you Amanda. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from us to all of you! [four red heart emojis].'

Drew, however, recently revealed that she is not currently dating.

In an interview with AARP The Magazine, she said that her daughters encourage her to date, but explained, 'also know how I felt when men were around when I was little — it didn't feel safe to me, so I'm probably overcautious from those experiences.'