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An article claiming to have interviewed Drew Barrymore, which contains several grammatical errors, out-of-character quotes and some fairly sexist overtones, has gone viral on Twitter, after a passenger on an EgyptAir flight noted its strangeness. Since it was tweeted yesterday, a representative for Drew Barrymore has since said that the interview is fake.
The article appeared in Horus, the in-flight magazine for EgyptAir, and was shared by Twitter user @adammbaron yesterday. It starts with bizarre references to Barrymore’s “unstable relationships” and “unsuccessful marriages”, saying that her relationship status is linked to “the lack of male role model in her life after her parents’ divorce”. The article then proceeds to an apparent Q+A style interview with the actress, where she is asked about her career, weight loss after childbirth and women’s rights – to which she gives some very strange responses.
When asked about how she parents her two daughters, the answer reads: “..as if I am growing a small plant waiting for its ripe, delicious fruits after a few years. I wish I would see them one day successful and unique ladies”. Moving on to talk about gender equality, the answer reads: “I cannot deny that women made a great achievement over the past century… women exert tremendous efforts that men are incapable of exerting due to their numerous commitments and obligations”.
You can read the answers in full here:
As the article went viral overnight, many questioned the legitimacy of the interview, and wondered if Barrymore had even spoken to the magazine. EgyptAir has stood by the piece, saying that the interview was completely real and conducted by “Dr. Aida Tekla, former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”
However, speaking to the Huffington Post, a representative of Drew Barrymore has said that she “did not participate” in the interview, and that her representatives are “working with the airline PR team.”
It is unclear whether EgyptAir will retract the article, or, preferably, apologise to Drew Barrymore for its publication. In any case, the fact that the piece doesn’t mention any of her current work commitments, including Netflix show Santa Clarita Diet and her popular makeup line Flower Beauty, and spends most of its time referring sexistly to her relationship status, is very disappointing.