Drew Barrymore Calls for Patience on Those Who Joked About Kate Middleton

Drew Barrymore is weighing in on folks who are now backtracking/apologizing for joking about Kate Middleton before they knew she had cancer … including Stephen Colbert.

The actress/talk show host spoke on the phenomenon that’s been unfolding over the past week or so — namely, the fact that people are getting dragged for having made light of Kate’s mysterious situation ahead of her cancer diagnosis announcement.

There’ve been a lot of people who’ve had to eat crow over this — and that goes for Colbert too, who dedicated a little time on his show Monday to express regret for his recent bit.

As we reported … SC leaned into affair rumors on one of his recent late-night episodes, poking fun at the possibility (or the gossip, more like) that some suspected Prince William of being in an affair with Lady Rose Hanbury … this while speculating on Kate’s whereabouts.

Colbert was far from the only one who cracked jokes about it all — remember, Blake Lively has apologized for her own quips about the whole thing before it was clear how serious it really was — but on the issue of demanding retribution against these folks … Drew’s eye-rolling.

Check out what she had to say about those who’s clutching their pearls on behalf of the Princess — as she wisely says … we all need to show a little patience, and a lot of grace.

Drew relays this in the most Drew Barrymore way — something our photog notes, and which DB seems very grateful for us to have noticed. Watch … she really is America’s Sweetheart.