"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."
That's the message Drew Barrymore has for the people who left critical Instagram comments on a video she shared earlier this week. Barrymore posted a clip of herself holding a starfish, and not everyone who saw the post was amused. The post was supposed to be a lighthearted promotion for a new lip product from Barrymore's Flower Beauty line, but the discussion quickly veered from lip gloss into animal rights. Based on the comments, it looks like people were concerned the starfish may have been in pain when it was picked up.
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"Animals, like humans, deserve respect. Nothing personal," one commenter wrote. "People don't see it as being a problem because they can't show us their pain using anything that speaks to us, they can't scream, they can't cry, but the pain is very real, they have a nervous system," another chimed in.
On Wednesday, Barrymore responded to the comments in a new Instagram post with a lengthy caption.
"Haters gonna hate. Yesterday I saw comments on my Instagram feed about my post that were mean, cruel, and ugly. It hurt me. And you know what women do when they get hurt???? They pick themselves up! Go get a haircut. Put on some lipstick and chant "if you don't have something nice to say... don't say anything at all" thank you @markishkreli @yumi_mori for picking a girl up and dusting her off. And more than anything, helping me feel pretty. Pretty is on the inside. But a little love on the outside never hurts. #thisfeedisforlovers," Barrymore captioned the haircut photo.
The background of Barrymore's original video looks like some kind of a tank, so it's safe to assume the starfish was returned to water after the video was taken. And it doesn't look like Barrymore bent the animal's arms, which could break them. We might not know if this starfish wanted to be taken out of the water, but it's clear that the actress didn't mean it any harm, and she's understandably upset at all the negativity.
The takeaway here? Yes, you should consult an expert before handling an unfamiliar animal — but it's also okay to treat yourself to improve your outlook, like Barrymore did.
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