Drew Barrymore makes a tearful apology and takes “full responsibility” for the show’s revival amid a writers’ strike
Drew Barrymore has deleted a video apologizing for her decision to continue her eponymous talk show amid the ongoing writers’ strike.
Earlier this week the Unkissed star revealed that The Drew Barrymore Show would begin production on its fourth season this week.
Barrymore has faced significant and heated backlash for her talk show being a “WGA-covered, tarnished show” as part of the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) ongoing Hollywood strikes.
On Friday (September 15), the 48-year-old addressed the controversy in an Instagram video, in which she tearfully said she took “full responsibility for my actions.”
However, Barrymore’s video – along with her original post announcing the resumption of filming – has since been removed from her page.
Barrymore has since announced that the show will not be returning and will remain on hiatus until the strike ends.
In the original video, Barrymore told her followers: “I don’t think there’s anything I can do or say at this moment to make everything right. I know there’s just nothing I can do to make this okay for those it’s not okay for. I fully accept that. I completely understand that.
“There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know that my interns have never been in a position to be angry or hurt more. That’s not who I am.”
She continued: “I have been through so many ups and downs in my life and this is one of them. I deeply apologize to the writers, I deeply apologize to the unions, I deeply apologize.”
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Barrymore’s post has since been deleted
(Instagram)
She reiterated that she doesn’t have a “PR machine” behind it, adding that it was “my decision to come back to the show.” I didn’t want to hide behind people. So I won’t do it.”
Barrymore acknowledged that many people had questioned why she had crossed the picket line by resuming her show, explaining, “Like I said, this is bigger than me and other people’s jobs are at stake.” “And since I started live in a pandemic, I just wanted to do a show that was there for people in sensitive times.
“And I weighed the scales and thought, if we could carry on in a global pandemic and everything the world has experienced in 2022, why should that sideline us?
“We will not break any rules and we will stick to them,” she claimed.
Since Barrymore announced she was resuming her show, WGA members have begun picketing outside her New York production studio.
Barrymore was widely criticized for bringing her show back
(Getty Images)
Among those criticizing her decision is her show’s co-head writer, who said that by resuming her show, Barrymore would be “prolonging the strike.”
“I personally understand that everyone has to make the best decision for themselves,” said the author. “I know this show has a crew of hundreds of people who need to be paid and I understand the perspective of wanting to protect your cast, your crew and your staff.
“We stand with the entire workforce and all unions around the world because that is how it works. Unions only work if you stand together with unions across the spectrum of work.”
The WGA has been on strike since May. Unions’ key demands include higher wages, higher streaming residual wages and assurances that their jobs will not be taken over by artificial intelligence (AI).