In the bright lights of The Drew Barrymore Show, the unexpected happened. Mid‑interview, Drew Barrymore paused and admitted she was feeling overheated, saying she thought she was having one of her first perimenopause hot flashes.

She removed her blazer, began fanning herself, and looked to her guests, notably Jennifer Aniston, for some sense of “Is this happening to you too?”

Aniston, alongside Adam Sandler, immediately moved into friend‑mode. She helped adjust Drew’s mic after the blazer came off, placing her hand near her shoulder or collarbone to feel the heat for herself.

When Drew asked, “Do you feel this?”, Aniston acknowledged an “internal heat.” The small gestures – touching her arm, steadying the mic, leaning in – made a moment of discomfort into one of compassion.

The ways in which Drew tried to cool off in that moment were simple but effective: removing layers, fanning herself, speaking openly about what was happening.

Those are the kinds of things many people do when taken by surprise by a hot flash. The removing of her jacket is a visible, immediate response; the fan gives some circulating air; speaking about it helps acknowledge and normalize the experience.

Humor also played a part. Drew apologised, asked questions, made jokes (“maybe I’m just that excited”), lightened the mood even as she was very much in a moment of physical discomfort.

Humor softened the edges of embarrassment, and allowed the conversation to continue rather than being derailed. Aniston joined in the humor and support, helping keep things grounded and empathetic.

Beyond the immediate cooling actions, the way Drew Barrymore and her guests handled it reflects larger cultural shifts.

Drew had previously spoken about perimenopause, and this live moment gave visual and emotional weight to what many people experience privately but rarely see represented publicly. That matters – because it normalizes a stage in life many people go through in silence.

The reactions from Jennifer Aniston in particular emphasize what allyship and empathy look like. She didn’t shy away. She didn’t treat it as a spectacle. She offered help, physically and emotionally.

Her responses—helping with the mic, touching Drew to check the heat, being present – showed that friends, colleagues, and public figures can support each other through moments often considered private or shameful.

For Drew Barrymore, that moment of hot flash became more than just a physiological event—it was also an opportunity. She said she was grateful for having the moment documented. In that openness, she shifted the narrative: this isn’t something to hide, something to feel embarrassed by.

It’s real. And by sharing it, she invites others to recognize theirs, maybe talk about them, seek help if needed. It becomes part of a broader conversation about women’s health, aging, perimenopause and the way society treats all of those.

It’s also worth noting the contrast between preparedness and surprise. Even though Drew had discussed perimenopause before in panels and interviews, she said she had not yet experienced a hot flash before this moment. So even when one is aware, the body can still catch you off guard.

That underscores how unpredictable some of these symptoms can be. When they do happen, having simple strategies and compassionate people around can make a big difference.

From a health‑education standpoint, this kind of openness contributes to reducing stigma. The fact that a mainstream TV host can experience something many see as embarrassing — a hot flash — on‑camera, and still maintain dignity, humor, and composure, helps others feel less alone.

It signals: You don’t have to suffer in silence. It’s okay to acknowledge something uncomfortable in real time. And it’s okay to ask for help.

Of course, cooling off physically isn’t always so simple. Hot flashes can be intense: racing heart, flush, sweat, internal heat. Airflow, removing layers, water, fans, cooler rooms—these are common tools. But emotional tools matter too: accepting your body, humor, help from those around you, speaking up when needed.

Those are the things that turned a potentially embarrassing moment into a sharing moment. This event between Drew and Jennifer shows how combining the physical and emotional responses can make the difference.

In the end, what resonates most is the message beyond the moment: aging, health transitions, and the changes of our bodies are universal. They touch many people, and many find them isolating. By making visible what is often invisible, Drew Barrymore showed that vulnerability doesn’t have to be weakness.

With friends like Jennifer Aniston in the moment, and with the willingness to be real in public, what might be a hot flash becomes an act of connection. It becomes a reminder: we are all going through things, and empathy matters.