INSIDE EDITION sat down with Drew Barrymore’s brother who says he lost everything when he was laid off, and isn’t getting any help from his sister.
A man living a shadow of his former life is homeless and on welfare. And would you believe his half-sister is superstar actress Drew Barrymore?
John Barrymore III used to live in a home in the beachside community of Pacific Grove, California.
Today, a box contains nearly all of his wordly possessions.
INSIDE EDITION's Jim Moret asked John, "So this is basically all of your stuff?"
"Yeah," replied John.
Moret asked, "Does any part of you think, 'My sister is so successful. Couldn't she help?' "
"Everytime I see her, she's as nice as can be. [Saying] 'I love you. We've got to get together.' She's sold it to me five times but I can never reach her," said John.
John is so broke he uses a government benefit card to get free food at his local grocery store.
Moret said, "When you are using this [benefit card] at the supermarket..."
"Yeah, and see my sister looking back from the cover of Elle? Hey, you know, I'm a big fan of irony," said John.
The last photo he and Drew took together was back in 2004 when they went to the desert in Joshua Tree to spread their father's ashes.
Their father, John Barrymore Jr. once dubbed the Prince of Hollywood, starred in movies like the 1950 western The Sundowners.
But after a long history of drug arrests he ended up looking like a real life Rip Van Winkle and living in a shack outside of Los Angeles.
At times John looks eerily like his own father, a point not lost on Drew.
"One of the things she said when she saw me was, 'It's scary how much you look like him,' " said John.
John says losing his life savings is nothing compared to losing his relationship with his famous sister.
John told Moret, "It does hurt a little, but I mean, what can you do?"
Moret asked, "Do you hope that one day you will have a relationship with Drew Barrymore?"
"I've given up at this point," said John.
