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Drew Barrymore offers an explanation for why her daytime talk show is returning despite harsh criticism during the writers’ strike.
“I don’t think there’s anything I can do or say at this moment to make everything right,” Barrymore said in an emotional video posted to her Instagram on Friday afternoon. “I wanted to make a decision so that it wouldn’t be a PR-protected situation and I would just take full responsibility for my actions.”
Through tears, Barrymore continued: “I know there’s just nothing I can do to make this right for those it’s not OK 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 intentions have never been more capable of upsetting or hurting me. It’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life and this is one of them,” she said through tears.
“I deeply apologize to the writers. “I deeply apologize to the unions,” Barrymore said.
“It becomes the big question of why – why am I doing this?” She continued. “Well, I certainly couldn’t have expected this kind of attention and we won’t break any rules and stick to them. I wanted to do this because like I said, this is bigger than me and other people’s jobs are at stake.”
Barrymore previously announced that her talk show would return on September 18 amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Soon after, “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and “The Talk” also announced their returns on the same day. But it’s Barrymore who’s causing a stir – perhaps because she made a statement unlike the other hosts of other daytime talk shows.
“I’m also making the decision to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, which may have my name on it, but this is bigger than just me,” Barrymore said in her first statement, announcing her show’s return. “This decision is mine,” she continued, explaining that the show is “in line with not discussing or promoting films and television that attack in any way.”
The Barrymore show’s return was a widely criticized decision, and her show was met with protesters on the first day of production earlier this week. The WGA condemned Barrymore’s decision to return, while SAG-AFTRA defended it.
WGA East said that “The Drew Barrymore Show” is a “WGA-covered canceled show that plans to return without its writers,” and the guild said it “will continue to picket canceled shows, in production during the strike,” noting that “any writing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is a violation of the WGA’s strike rules.”
Barrymore is not violating SAG-AFTRA’s current strike rules because her work as host of the show is under a different contract than the one the actors are fighting over. (The contract, which covers talk shows, game shows, variety shows and soap operas, was renewed and ratified by union members in 2022.) In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said: “‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is produced under the Network Television Code. This is a separate contract and is not completed. It is permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate current strike rules.”
Talk shows that have already returned this season include “Live! “With Kelly and Mark” and “Tamron Hall,” both of which have no writers and are not covered by the WGA, as well as “The View,” where two WGA writers resigned and have not worked since the strike began. Sherri Shepherd’s show “Sherri,” which returns Sept. 18, has no writers and is not a WGA show.