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Furious Writers Guild prepares to picket 'disgraceful' Drew Barrymore as star's talk show returns amid strike

Drew Barrymore pointed out they weren't obliged to halt production as the third season of her show had concluded on April 20, before the strike began

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Drew Barrymore has found herself at the center of controversy after announcing the return of her eponymous talk show, 'The Drew Barrymore Show', for its fourth season, despite the ongoing strikes by SAG-AFTRA and WGA.

Drew Barrymore takes a U-turn

In a detailed Instagram post, Barrymore addressed her decision to bring back her daytime talk show, even though she had previously stepped down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards during the strike.

"I made a choice to walk away from the MTV, film, and television awards because I was the host, and it had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with, which was studios, streamers, film, and television," Barrymore explained.

"It was also in the first week of the strike and so I did what I thought was the appropriate thing at the time to stand in solidarity with the writers," she added.

Barrymore pointed out that the third season of her show had concluded on April 20, before the strike began, which meant they didn't have to halt production. However, she made the conscious choice to return to work for season four, acknowledging that the show's significance extended beyond her own involvement.

"I own this choice," Barrymore continued. "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."

The Emmy-nominated host also expressed her motivation for bringing the show back, stating, "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," adding, "I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible."

Barrymore concluded her statement by reflecting on the show's resilience, having navigated through challenging times since its initial launch in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air," she wrote. "And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility."

However, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) maintained that 'The Drew Barrymore Show' is a struck show, and as a result, union members would picket outside her studios in New York City on Monday and Tuesday.

"It has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers," the spokesperson said in the statement. "The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike."

Guest actors appearing on 'The Drew Barrymore Show' for its fourth season will have to adhere to SAG-AFTRA strike rules, which include refraining from discussing or promoting any struck work.

Drew Barrymore faces backlash

Barrymore faced quite the pushback from WGA "comrades" on social media.

"Disgraceful behavior for a Barrymore," one tweeted.

"Just like generational-wealth to turn on the workers in an industry on a dime like that. Boo to @DrewBarrymore @DrewBarrymoreTV for not standing with what she should see as her comrades," another added.

"This is so disappointing. I would hope you'd be better than this. As a woman who has staked her life and livelihood on recovering from exploitative practices within Hollywood to turn around and try and make a profit during a labor movement? @DrewBarrymoreTV @DrewBarrymore," someone else fumed.

"Way to stand in solidarity @DrewBarrymore @DrewBarrymoreTV," another chimed in.

The labor disputes that sparked the strikes involve the Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation Of Television And Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), representing around 160,000 media professionals and entertainers.

The WGA initiated a strike on May 2, primarily focusing on residuals from streaming video, claiming that AMPTP's share has significantly reduced writers' incomes compared to a decade ago. They also want artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT, to be a research and script idea facilitator, not a replacement for writers.

SAG-AFTRA joined the strike on July 14, citing concerns about economic fairness, residuals, regulation of artificial intelligence, and addressing the challenges posed by the industry's shift toward self-taping.