Drew Barrymore was not beating the scab allegations last week. After facing a lot of backlash for her decision to bring back The Drew Barrymore Show without writers amid the ongoing WGA strike — and doubling down on it as recently as last Friday (September 15) in a since-deleted video — the eponymous host has announced that she will be pausing the talk show's return until the strike is over.
"I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over," Barrymore wrote on Instagram yesterday (September 17). "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."
Her prior choice to resume production on the show resulted in WGA union members vowing to picket outside the CBC Broadcast Center. Barrymore may be an actor herself, but as she is under the guild contract for talk shows, game shows, variety shows and soap operas, she was not in violation — but The Drew Barrymore Show typically employs WGA writers.
The host claimed its new episodes would not break any of the strike rules, so it would have to be going forward without writers (or with non-union, picket-crossing ones). "I own this choice," she wrote at the time, noting that production would comply with not promoting any struck film or television.
Now that Barrymore has conceded, she will no longer be in the company of Bill Maher, who announced last week that he would be bringing back Real Time without writers.
"I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over," Barrymore wrote on Instagram yesterday (September 17). "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."
Her prior choice to resume production on the show resulted in WGA union members vowing to picket outside the CBC Broadcast Center. Barrymore may be an actor herself, but as she is under the guild contract for talk shows, game shows, variety shows and soap operas, she was not in violation — but The Drew Barrymore Show typically employs WGA writers.
The host claimed its new episodes would not break any of the strike rules, so it would have to be going forward without writers (or with non-union, picket-crossing ones). "I own this choice," she wrote at the time, noting that production would comply with not promoting any struck film or television.
Now that Barrymore has conceded, she will no longer be in the company of Bill Maher, who announced last week that he would be bringing back Real Time without writers.
