Drew Barrymore has delayed the return of The Drew Barrymore Show amid the ongoing writers’ strike. The decision has also received support from CBS Media Ventures, which produces The Drew Barrymore Show.
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore posted on Instagram on Sunday. “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.”
Last week, Barrymore drew criticism when she announced that her daytime talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show would return on air, without the writers who have been a part of the WAG strikes. This did not go down well with the internet and fans for the show.
Barrymore, who has hosted her talk show since 2020, received negative feedback for bringing the program back during the strikes. Barrymore’s stance prompted the National Book Awards to uninvite her as host in November. The WGA has been on strike since May 2 after the Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) were unable to come to an agreement before the previous contract expired.
The writers are seeking higher pay, minimum staffing requirements, residuals from streaming and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to name a few key issues. SAG-AFTRA, led by President Fran Drescher, joined the writers on the picket line on July 14.