The Drew Barrymore Show Initially Returned To Taping Despite Writers Strike
Despite the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have been ongoing since May and July, respectively, Drew Barrymore had originally chosen to resume production on her self-titled The Drew Barrymore Show, stating on Instagram that the decision was "bigger than just me". In the lengthy Instagram post, which has since been deleted, the host stated that the 4th season of the chat show would be proceeding in accordance with the strike rules of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
However, following the announcement, a spokesperson for the Writers Guild tole The Hollywood Reporter that Drew's show was actually a "struck" show, meaning that any taping would actually not be complying with those rules. The spokesperson said at the time, "It has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike."
The show went on with taping throughout last week, netting some serious bad press in the process when two audience members were booted from one taping due to wearing strike paraphernalia that had been handed to them by picketers outside of the show's set. Originally, Drew had promised that the show would be fully ad-libbed and not written at all, due to 3 of the usual writers on the series currently striking as part of the WGA. Despite this, the guild stated even this version of the show was not within the strike's rules.
In her original announcement, the chat show host said, "I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time."
Drew Barrymore Announces Show Will Pause After Awards Show Cuts Her As Host
As the backlash rolled in following production on The Drew Barrymore Show resuming and the audience members telling their story about being kicked out of taping, the National Book Awards shared their decision to cut ties with Drew, who was originally slated to host the 74th annual incarnation of the awards show. In a statement posted to social media, the National Book Foundation said, "The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that The Drew Barrymore Show will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore's invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony. Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the Awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation."
Just days later, on Friday, Drew took to social media to share an apology video, in which she said she stood by the decision to move forward with production on The Drew Barrymore Show and that "there are so many reasons why this ins so complex." She added that "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. I deeply apologize. I don’t exactly know what to say because sometimes when things are so tough, it’s hard to make decisions from that place. So all I can say is that I wanted to accept responsibility." The video has since been pulled off of Barrymore's social media due to widespread negative feedback on the clip.
Just yesterday, September 17th, the Charlie's Angels actress returned to Instagram to post yet another statement, this time saying that she had reversed her decision and would not be proceeding with taping her talk show, nor would the episodes filmed last week be broadcast starting on the season's original premiere date, Monday September 18th. Her statement read, "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."
After Drew's announcement, similarly-formatted shows The Jennifer Hudson Show and The Talk also paused their season premieres set for Monday, with a spokesperson for the latter saying it would "evaluate plans for a new launch date." Of The Drew Barrymore Show's halting of production, a spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures (which owns the show) told the media that "We support Drew's decision to pause the show's return and understand how complex and difficult this process has been for her."