Drew Barrymore issues tearful apology taking ‘full responsibility’ for resuming show amid writers’ strike
Drew Barrymore has issued an emotional apology after facing heated backlash for recently announcing that her eponymous talk show would resume amid the ongoing writers’ strike.
Earlier this week, the ET star revealed that her Drew Barrymore Show would start production on its fourth season despite the Writers Guild of America (WGA) confirming that her chat show is a “WGA-covered, struck show”.
Now, Barrymore, 48, has addressed the controversy in an Instagram video – posted on Friday (15 September) – taking “full responsibility for my actions”.
“I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it ok,” the actor said. “I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this ok to those that it is not ok with. I fully accept that. I fully understand that.
“There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my interns have never been in a place to upset or hurt anymore. It’s not who I am.”
She continued: “I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them. I deeply apologise to writers, I deeply apologise to unions, I deeply apologise.”
Reiterating that she doesn’t have a “PR machine behind this”, she added that it was “my decision to return to the show. I didn’t want to hide behind people. So I won’t.”
She acknowledged that a lot of people are wondering why she’s doing this, explaining: “As I said, this is bigger than me, and there are other people’s jobs on the line. And since launching live in a pandemic, I just wanted to make a show that was there for people in sensitive times.
“And I weighed the scales, and I thought, if we could go on in a global pandemic and everything that the world has experienced in 2022, why would this sideline us?
“We aren’t going to break rules, and we will be in compliance,” she claimed.
Since Barrymore announced that she would be resuming her show, WGA members have begun picketing outside of her New York production studio.
Among those criticising her decision is her show’s co-head writer, who said that Barrymore would “prolong the strike” by resuming her show.
“I personally understand that everybody has to make the best decision for themselves,” the writer said. “I know that 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’re standing with all of labour and all of the unions across the world, because that is how it works. Unions only work when you stick together with unions across the labour spectrum.”
The WGA have been on strike since May. Among the unions’ chief demands include increased wages, higher streaming residuals and assurances that their jobs won’t be taken over by artificial intelligence (AI).
