Drew Barrymore will not cross the picket line, after all … she now says she is NOT going back into production on her talk show while the Writer’s Guild strike continues.
Drew completed a massive flip-flop Sunday morning when she announced, “I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over. 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.”
The turnaround comes exactly one week after she first said she would start shooting new episodes — and since then she’s faced a wave of backlash and criticism that nearly brought her to tears in a video apology for coming back, but oddly said was still going to return to production.
9/15/23
Instagram / @drewbarrymore
Perhaps not coincidentally, her change of heart — to pull the plug on a comeback — comes hours after Rosie O’Donnell ripped into her.
As we reported, Rosie O’Donnell excoriated Drew on Saturday, posting simple instructions on how she can save face with the union and the public. She wrote, “Stop taping the show. Stop asking audiences to cross the picket line, Then ask someone to help you craft three declarative sentences. They should follow along these lines: I made an error. I apologize to the WGA for disrespecting the work of professional writers. I apologize to all union members who are withstanding real hardship as I live a life of luxury.”
Well, Drew didn’t say that word-for-word, but, in essence, it is what she ended up saying.
BTW, the video apology has been deleted, and Drew now seems resolute in not coming back until the strike ends. She says, “We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”
It will be interesting to see if other shows or hosts bow to pressure to honor the strike — “Real Time With Bill Maher,” “The Talk” and Jennifer Hudson‘s talk show are also returning without their striking writers.