Drew Barrymore Pauses Production of Talk Show Until End of Strike After Backlash

Drew Barrymore's loveable reputation took a hit in a matter of days after she said that her daytime talk show would continue production despite the ongoing writers and actor strikes. Several celebrities, writers, and fans criticized the actor and host for turning her back on the labor union's efforts, and after endless backlash, Barrymore ultimately decided to pause The Drew Barrymore Show.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Barrymore walked back her original announcement made last week to continue taping her CBS show. In a simple text-on-screen post, Barrymore wrote that she “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,” Barrymore continued. “We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”

The Drew Barrymore Show resumed taping on Monday while picketers demonstrated outside of the New York City studios, prompting Barrymore to post a since-deleted video on Friday defending the decision. The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) condemned Barrymore's choice, writing in a social media post that her show is a “WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers."

“The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike,” the statement continued. “Any writing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is in violation of WGA strike rules.”

Barrymore received an onslaught of scrutiny after returning to production, with writers and supporters urging her to change her mind and stand with the unions. Many people referred to her as a “scab,” which is a worker who crosses a picket line in violation of a planned work stoppage or strike.

The comments under Sunday's post rang a different tune than they did last week, with writers and actors including Alyssa Milano, Kal Penn, Jenny Yang, and more thanking her for changing her mind. The WGA East account also wrote, “Thank you Drew" with the fist-up emoji.

In a statement provided to multiple sources, CBS Media Ventures wrote that it supported Barrymore and expressed “how complex and difficult this process has been for her.”

The Drew Barrymore Show isn't the only union-affiliated show that made the decision in recent weeks to begin production again without writers. The Jennifer Hudson Show, The View, and Real Time with Bill Maher have all resumed tapings without their writers.

While Barrymore herself is part of SAG-AFTRA, she is covered under a separate union as a talk show host called the Network Code, making her appearance on her daytime show technically allowed. But continuing production without writers and subbing in other staff to create the show has been ridiculed as scabbing.

Negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the WGA are set to resume next week, according to both organizations. Writers have been on strike for nearly five months after the AMPTP refused to meet its demands regarding pay and job security, among other issues. SAG-AFTRA, the guild that represents actors, began their own strike on July 14 for similar reasons, including the issue of residuals. Read more about the strikes here.


Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue


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