Actress Drew Barrymore is being slammed by fellow actors and writers on social media for bringing her talk show back amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood. She was called “gross,” a “scab,” and “incredibly disappointing.”
Barrymore announced the return of her talk show in a social media post on Sunday, writing, in part, “I own this choice. 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 Charlie’s Angels star added.
Barrymore was quickly lambasted by members of her own industry on social media for her decision to bring her show back during the writers’ strike.
Actor Bradley Whitford reacted with an apparent 9/11-themed response, writing, “Oh, you own it. For sure, @DrewBarrymore. And we’ll never forget it.”
“This is incredibly disappointing. @DrewBarrymore’s show employs WGA writers who are currently on strike. She is choosing to go back on the air without them, and forcing her guests to cross a picket line,” comic and writer Adam Conover wrote.
“Drew: This harms your writers and all union workers. Please reconsider,” Conover added.
“Sooo who is writing her opening monologue and literally everything else on this show when it starts up again next week? Scab writers?! Ughhhh gross Drew Barrymore. Gross,” TV personality Felicia Day posted.
“Drew Barrymore has always been someone who recognized her privilege and aimed to evolve, so I hope she will reconsider this hasty decision intended to pay her crew because it weakens both unions to openly endorse scabbing,” TV writer Gennefer Gross said.
“She could personally fund their salaries for eternity,” Gross added.
Meanwhile, West Wing star Josh Malina posted a photo of Barrymore to X with the word “SCAB” written over it.
New episodes of The Drew Barrymore Show, which will be returning September on 18, will have to utilize either violating WGA members, non-WGA writers, or no one.
The show will “not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike,” a spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures told Variety.
The Writers Guild of America reacted to Barrymore’s decision with the following statement:
The Drew Barrymore TV show is a WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is a violation of WGA strike rules.
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