Drew Barrymore has posted a tearful apology after coming under fire for bringing her talkshow back during the writers’ strike.
The actor and host had announced that The Drew Barrymore Show would return, while in accordance with the Sag-Aftra and WGA strike rules. But the decision led to an immediate backlash, with protesters demonstrating at the CBS studios during the first day of production. Audience members were also reportedly thrown out for wearing WGA pins.
“I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK,” she said in a long Instagram video. “I wanted to own a decision so it wasn’t a PR-protected situation and I would just take full responsibility for my actions … 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 anyone, that’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 apologise to writers, I deeply apologise to unions.”
She goes onto explain that there is no “PR machine” behind the video or the decision to restart production. “I wanted to do this because, as I said, this is bigger than me, and there are other people’s jobs on the line. And since launching live in a pandemic, I just wanted to make a show that was there for people in sensitive times, and I weighed the scales, and I thought if we could go on during a global pandemic and everything that the world has experienced through 2020, why would this sideline us?” she said.
The Drew Barrymore Show joins The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Talk and Real Time with Bill Maher in a return to the air without writers.
The decision was condemned by the WGA East, saying they “will continue to picket struck shows that are in production during the strike”. Yet Sag-Aftra also released a statement to say that it is “permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules”.
This week saw the National Book Awards drop Barrymore as this year’s host as a result of the backlash. In a statement, the foundation affirmed that the night is “dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture”.
Yesterday it was revealed that the WGA is planning to meet again next week with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group representing the studios, “to move negotiations forward”. The guild has been on strike since 2 May.
