Drew Barrymore says her response to Pauly Shore's marriage proposal on talk show is 'still pending'

Pauly Shore made headlines last November when he got down on one knee and proposed to his longtime pal Drew Barrymore on an episode of her daytime talk show. Now, The Drew Barrymore Show host is sharing her official response to Shore’s request for her hand in marriage. 

“The answer is still pending,” she tells Entertainment Weekly. Although, she notes, “I don't think [a reply] was even needed. I think Pauly was doing his thing and because I've known him since I was a baby — he and Donovan Leitch used to like, babysit me — I think we were just all playing.”

The actress, who recently teamed up with home security company Ring for its “Ring Pet Portraits” campaign, recalls having to decide on the fly how she wanted to react to Shore’s sudden proposal on the show.

“David Letterman taught me really, really well, which is, if somebody does something spontaneous, you have a real choice to make it uncomfortable or like a joyful celebration,” Barrymore says. “Because what he did for me that day — when I went on his desk and really hadn't planned anything I was doing, and was just kind of going with this like, wild freedom — he made it okay for everybody in that moment. Certainly me.”

Barrymore is referring to her 1995 Late Show appearance, in which she famously danced atop Letterman’s desk before flashing him and giving him a kiss on the cheek for his birthday. His game reaction, Barrymore says, taught her how important it was as a host to make sure that guests feel “safe” when “being playful” on television.

“I mean, obviously, if somebody crosses a line, that's a different story, but Pauly was just being so fun and silly,” she adds. “I’m just like, ‘Alright, let's go with this.’ I didn't know it was going to happen. It wasn't planned. So, you know, you just try to have fun and not sit there like you're confused and judgmental, because I felt like the last way I felt.”

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At the end of the episode, Barrymore told viewers that she’d reveal her response to Shore’s proposal on a forthcoming episode that EW later learned won’t be aired. However, Barrymore says she’s still leaving that door open. “Who knows!” She teases. “I love a payoff.” (As for Shore, he recently told EW that he’s “in love with Drew,” but that final say is up to her.)

Regardless of her response, Barrymore already has one man in her life: her adorable dog, Douglas. The 14-year-old rescue can be frequently spotted sitting beside his owner on The Drew Barrymore Show as she interviews the latest celebrities and, now, joins her in a hilariously heartwarming new Ring commercial. Her bearded dragon Jeremy, who was famously serenaded by John Legend, also makes a brief appearance.

“When they asked if I could do that commercial with Douglas, I was just so thrilled,” gushes Barrymore, who was presented with the ASPCA’s Humanitarian Award in 2016. “Douglas is such a big part of my life for 14 years. That's who I've been hanging hard with.”

As part of its “Ring Pet Portraits” campaign, which runs from now until June 14, the company will pledge a $10 donation, up to $100,000, in support of the ASPCA and up to an additional $400,000 to local animal shelters across the United States for every pet video or picture posted with hashtag #RingPets on Instagram or TikTok. Submissions with hashtag #contest and #RingPets will also be entered into a contest for their pet to star in an upcoming Ring commercial, with Barrymore herself selecting the best in show.

"Our pets make us feel good and then you're like, ‘Wait, we've been monitoring home security and babies on baby monitors, how come we never considered like checking in on our pets?’ I totally, totally get this and I love it,” she says, calling it “honestly an honor to work with them and do this commercial with Douglas.” 

Having Douglas, as well has her late dog Lucy, on the show alongside her was just one of the ways that Barrymore aims to bring a “home” atmosphere and strip away the “formality” from her talk show.

“The benefit of daytime is you get to go a little more in depth and a little longer in time, but the fun of late night is people are being silly. They're having fun as if you've earned it by the end of the day,” she says. “I just wanted an amalgamation of both. I thought, ‘Why can't we start our day with this comedic congratulations? Let's start the day that way.' But then we also have the luxury of more time to go a little more in depth with people.” 

As the show’s host, Barrymore says she feels like she’s “part of something wonderful,” but isn’t certain she can “quantify how much [that] has to do with me.” She continues, “I'm dedicated to it every day, I'm running myself into the ground trying to make this the best show it can be, but it's such a team. It's so much of what other people do that you can't even anticipate, you're just trying to set a stage for things to unfold and bloom and occur. It's one of the best endeavors I've ever had the privilege of being a part of in my life. I'm so happy. I feel so lucky.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.