Back in 2023, Drew Barrymore experienced her first perimenopausal hot flash in front of a live television audience. And even though the viral moment has since passed, it's still a very relevant topic of discussion. While speaking with guests Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler on her talk show, Barrymore abruptly appears flustered, fanning herself and removing her jacket.Without missing a beat, she says, “I am so hot, I think I'm having my first perimenopause hot flashes.”“Oh, I feel so honored!” Jennifer Aniston quips as she fixes Barrymore’s mic, which is a sweet moment in and of itself.“I’m so sorry!” Barrymore continues, laughing through it all. “Do you feel this?!” she says, placing Aniston’s hand just below her neck. “Or maybe I’m just excited!”Sandler, then reaching for Barrymore’s palm, assures her, “Yeah you got a hot hand.”“Well, I’m so glad I have this moment documented!” Barrymore exclaims.One viewer on TikTok gushed, “I don’t know that I have ever heard a celebrity talk about a hot flash in the moment. Thank you for being so real.” @drewbarrymore I either had my first perimenopause hot flash or got really exciting! Maybe both? @thedrewbarrymoreshow ♬ original sound - Drew Barrymore Another echoed, “Drew, we have a whole generation (X) entering the change. Let’s normalize it. Just wait until you’re soaked with sweat, then cold lol.”One person commented on the exchange between Aniston and Barrymore, noting how refreshing it was to see two “beautiful, authentic, powerful women my own age to look up to.”Moments like these resonate not just because a celebrity shared them, but because they reflect what millions of women experience privately as they go about their daily lives. Perimenopause doesn't pause for work meetings, parenting, caregiving, or public-facing roles. For many women, symptoms are confusing, disruptive, and often brushed aside as they continue trying to adhere to these myriad responsibilities. Seeing someone speak about it openly helps validate this rarely talked about reality. See on Instagram Only a week prior, Barrymore had again been an unofficial spokeswoman for perimenopause when she sat down with Gayle King of “CBS Mornings” to share more of her personal experiences, including having a period “every two weeks.”"One doctor also just told me this could last, in the worst-case scenario, 10 years. And I was like, ‘I will never make it 10 years like this!’" she told King.Together, these conversations show a clear pattern rather than an isolated viral moment. Considering that every woman who lives past their 40s will probably go through at least some version of this—even earlier, for some—one would think that there should be more conversations about this pivotal life chapter. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so daunting.Or at the very least, there might be less stigma around it. As Barrymore eloquently put it in her interview, “The way menopause has been branded is, 'You're old, you're done.' That's not it." Instead, she feels that in reality, "more women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are looking so attractive, feeling so vibrant, living their best lives.”Imagine that—life getting better as you grow older. What a radical thought. - YouTube www.youtube.com This article originally appeared two years ago.