The Hits Keep Coming: Drew Barrymore's Return To Filming Gets More Controversial

TV & Film

Sep 14

Drew Barrymore is facing backlash after restarting The Drew Barrymore Show amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. While Barrymore claims her show doesn’t break the SAG-AFTRA strike rules, the WGA-East claims that the show is WGA-covered and, therefore, in violation of strike rules. The controversy increased when members of the audience were kicked out for wearing pins in support of the WGA strike. According to DiscussingFilm, audience members had their bags searched after the show, and any WGA pins were confiscated.

Although her show doesn’t air until next week, the backlash led to the National Book Foundation removing her as a host of the Nation Book Awards. In a post on X, the organization wrote, “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that The Drew Barrymore Show will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards ceremony. Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the Awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation.” Although Barrymore seems to have the most attention, picketers have lined up outside of The View, another WGA-covered show that decided to return without its writers. The National Book Awards are scheduled for November 15. No replacement host has been announced.