The journalist behind an article about Drew Barrymore that went viral has stepped forward to explain how the bizarre piece came to be.
On Tuesday, an article for EgyptAir’s in-flight magazine fast became a hot topic on Twitter due to its unusual and at times unflattering comments about the actress, 43.
Passenger Adam Baron first shared the story, which falsely began by saying the actress was taking time off from acting to be a full-time mom to daughters Olive, 6, and Frankie, 4, with ex Will Kopelman, 40.
“Despite being unstable in her relationships most of her life, despite the several unsuccessful marriages and despite the busy life of stardom that dominated her life for several years; the beautiful American Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has recently decided to temporary [sic] take an unlimited vacation to play her most crucial role as a mother,” the article said.
While many were offended at the statements in the article, a source close to the actress tells PEOPLE it is just a case of things getting lost in translation.
“This truly is an innocent translation job that somehow made it through the channels,” the source says.
The interview seemed so unlike the actress that many questioned whether it was real or not, but on Wednesday the journalist behind the story revealed her identity and declared that she did interview the actress.
Aida Takla O’Reilly, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — the organization that hosts the Golden Globes — came forward on Wednesday to say she did interview Barrymore but that EgyptAir was “authorized to edit the final version of the interviews” she conducted.
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“As a member of the HFPA since 1956, I have been a correspondent for many publications for decades I interviewed celebrities published in Egypt Air’s official magazine; Horus, as well as Nisfdunia magazine, which is one of the publications of Al Ahram.(continued) @EGYPTAIR,” Takla O’Reilly tweeted.
In a second tweet, she wrote, “It is noted that the previously mentioned publications are authorized to edit the final version of the interviews, according to adjustments required by the magazines in regards to size of the article without altering the core of the content… (continued) @EGYPTAIR.”
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“This doesn’t negate the fact that the interview with Drew Barrimoor [sic] which took place in New York is genuine &far from fake. As far as Drew we interviewed her several times I saw her grow up before my eyes she is charming and talented. @EGYPTAIR,” she concluded.
Takla O’Reilly misspelled Barrymore’s name but told a Twitter user it was because she was dictating her tweet. She did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
