Drew Barrymore pauses her talk show following criticism amidst ongoing strikes
After receiving criticism for continuing her talk show despite ongoing strikes, Drew Barrymore has decided to pause The Drew Barrymore Show until the strikes come to an end.
On Monday, September 11th, 2023, Barrymore’s daytime talk show returned to screens without writers. This earned the host backlash from WGA East, who took to Twitter to share, “The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on The Drew Barrymore Show is in violation of WGA strike rules.”
Barrymore was also lined up to host the National Book Awards, but was dropped from the ceremony when she decided to resume production.
Barrymore then took to Instagram to apologise and explain, stating, “I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with.” Still, she planned to proceed with the show, adding, “We aren’t going to break rules and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this, because as I said, this is bigger than me and there are other people’s jobs on the line.”
Now, Barrymore has decided to pause the show indefinitely until the strikes are over. The actor shared a new statement on Instagram: “I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over.”
She continued, “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”
Read the statement below.
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