After a rollercoaster week,Drew Barrymorehas made the decision to not resume her talk show,The Drew Barrymore Show, until the current strikes in Hollywood have ended.
Barrymore originally announced that she would be returning to screens with her talk show, as she believed there were people who work on the show that are being inadvertently hurt by the dual writer’s and actor’s strikes. She also released a video addressing the backlash she received for making the decision, explaining exactly why she believed it was essential for the show to get back on air as soon as possible.
Now, in a newInstagram post, Barrymore revealed that she has now taken on board the comments made online and will not be back on-screen until after the strikes are concluded. She wrote:
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over. 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.”
Related:‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ Returning to HBO Without Writers Amid WGA StrikeBarrymore Apologized But Initially Said The Show Would Go On.
Despite an emotional apology to writers and unions, the original decision to resume her show was met with outrage and union members picketing outside New York’s CBS Broadcast Center, where taping resumed during the week. In her video, released on Friday via Instagram (and now deleted, but still available online viaThe Wrap), Barrymore explained her decision and remained adamant that the daytime talk show would not break any rules:
“I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK. I wanted to own a decision, so that it wasn’t a PR-protected situation, and I would just take full responsibility for my actions. I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with. I fully accept that. I fully understand that. There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anymore. It’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them. I deeply apologize to writers. I deeply apologize to unions."
She continued, saying, “There’s a huge question of the why — why am I doing this? Well, I certainly couldn’t have expected this kind of attention, and 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.”
The post was met with plenty of criticism, with many responding that Barrymore is hurting union members with her decision.Will & Gracestar Debra Messing urged Barrymore to reconsider, writing: “You can choose now to halt production. You can choose to pay your employees like other talk show hosts who have stood in solidarity with the writers. There are thousands of union members jobs and livelihoods that are at stake (exponential more than those who work on your show) and the future of our beloved industry. I hope you will reconsider.”
Related:Drew Barrymore Won’t Host Sunday’s MTV Awards in Solidarity With WGA Strike
Drew Barrymore: “Our Show Was Built for Sensitive Times”
In her Instagram video, Barrymore added that her eponymous show, which launched September 2020, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, was “built for sensitive times”:
“I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air. And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility.”
Although Barrymore, who has been acting since the age of five, is a member of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), she is not violating their strike. A different contract covers her work as a television host than the one currently being disputed by actors. In a statement,the SAG-AFTRA said the series was “permissible work"and that “Drew’s role as a host does not violate the current strike rules.”
The WGA (Writers Guild of America), however, is not in agreement with the return of the show (which employed two union writers before the strike), as it is a “WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers.”
Barrymore has received criticism from basically everyone at this point — those who support the strikes have called her a scab, and those who even support her have attacked her decision to apologize. It seems that in the end, the clear bad feelings from everyone was enough to force Barrymore to reconsider just how imperative many believe solidarity in this situation really is.
