Actress Pauses ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ in Support of Entertainment Industry Labor Strikes

In a show of solidarity with the ongoing strikes in the entertainment industry, actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore has announced that her show, “The Drew Barrymore Show,” will not be returning as previously scheduled. Barrymore made this announcement on her Instagram account on Sunday, addressing concerns and criticisms that arose after she initially announced plans to resume production.

In her statement, Barrymore expressed remorse for any harm caused by her previous decision and recognized the exceptional team behind her show. She stressed her commitment to honoring the ongoing strike and stated, “We genuinely attempted to find a way forward. And I sincerely hope for a resolution for the whole industry very soon.”

CBS Media Ventures, the distributor of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” expressed their support for Barrymore’s choice to pause the show’s return, acknowledging the complexities and challenges she faced during this process.

This development follows Barrymore’s initial declaration to revive her show, which faced criticism from fellow actors and the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The writers’ union, WGA, has been on strike since May, demanding higher wages and more explicit contract provisions regarding artificial intelligence.

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In addition to the industry backlash, the National Book Foundation rescinded its offer for Barrymore to host its annual book awards in response to her decision to continue the show.

While the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) stated that the talk show’s return did not violate the ongoing strike, the entertainment industry has been dealing with dual strikes as SAG-AFTRA staged a separate strike in July.

As a result of these strikes, many TV shows, including popular talk shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which heavily rely on teams of writers, have been on an extended hiatus.

Drew Barrymore’s decision to put her show “on pause” has received widespread support, including from the Writers Guild of America, East, who simply replied with “Thank you, Drew” to her statement.

While “The Drew Barrymore Show” remains temporarily suspended, reruns of the show will be aired, allowing viewers to enjoy past content during this hiatus. Episodes that were recorded when production resumed last week will not be broadcasted at this time.