After receiving some backlash for starting season 4 of “The Drew Barrymore Show” amid the Writers Guild of America, or WGAstrike, host Drew Barrymore issued a response taking “full responsibility” for the decision.
Barrymore took to social media to explain her reasoning and apologize to anyone affected by her decision.
Drew Barrymore issues a video statement on Instagram about her decision to start filming during the WGA strike
![Drew Barrymore](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/10125056/MEGA973894_013-scaled-e1694375508525.jpg)
Barrymore sympathetically explained why she made the decision to film despite the ongoing WGA strike in a video shared to Instagram.
“I don’t think there’s anything I can do or say right now to make it right. I wanted to own a decision so that it wasn’t a PR-protected situation, and I would just take full responsibility for my actions. I know there’s nothing I can do to make this right for those it’s not right for. I accept that completely. I completely understand that,” she explained, holding back emotions.
“There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know that my intentions were never to upset or hurt anyone. It’s not who I am.”
The actress and talk show host further explained that she has experienced many “ups and downs” in her life and this is one of them. She apologized to writers and the union for her decision and said she takes “responsibility” for the decision.
“I don’t know exactly what to say because sometimes when things are so difficult it’s hard to make decisions from that place, so all I can say is that I wanted to accept responsibility,” she explained . “And no, I don’t have a PR machine behind this. In deciding to return to the show, I didn’t want to hide behind people, so I won’t, and I won’t polish this with bells and whistles, publicists and corporate rhetoric. I’m just going to stand there, accept it and be responsible.”
Barry focused more than just her “why” to help people understand why she decided to cross the picket lines to film the new season of her talk show.
“Well, I certainly couldn’t have expected this kind of attention, and we’re not going to break the rules and we’re going to stick to them. I wanted to do this because, like I said, this is bigger than me and other people’s jobs are at stake,” she explained.
“And since I started live during a pandemic, I just wanted to make a show that was there for people in sensitive times. And I weighed the scales and thought, if we could keep going during a global pandemic and everything the world has been through in 2020, why should this sideline us? So I just want to put one foot in front of the other and make a show that is there for people no matter what else is going on in the world, because then I think we all need something that wants to be there, very realistic. in very realistic times. So that’s my why.”
The comments section is a mix of support and more slack
![Drew Barrymore and a crying audience member](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/05/IMG-9800.jpg)
It didn’t take long for followers to take to the comments section to leave their thoughts on her decision and apology. The comments section is a mixed bag of support and more backlash.
“As a consumer, I can understand that there are SO MANY other people working on your show who are not writers and who are directly affected by the strike. It will be all right!” one person wrote, supporting her decision.
Another added: “Camera crews need work too, stage crew etc. It’s not just about the writers. You give those people work and that’s good. There will always be someone pointing the finger, but you did a good job. They have to pay for their homes and families, you did a good job.
![Drew Barrymore](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/10130739/MEGA932053_002-scaled.jpg)
And then there are comments that don’t support her decision.
‘You are not so much taking responsibility here, but reinforcing a misguided decision you made to cross the picket lines. I don’t think anyone cares as much about your intentions as they do about your action plan to solve the problem,” one person wrote.
“So you apologize but remain a villain and force your crew to be villains? Because let’s face it, the crew members who want to stay with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA will be replaced if they don’t come with you. Don’t sit here and cry like you’re doing them a favor when in reality you’re forcing them to choose between their jobs or joining the unions,” wrote another.
Drew Barrymore has announced she will film her show despite the strike, one day before filming started
![Drew Barrymore Instagram](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/09/10131033/375869793_18388343320057398_2382183211771032298_n.jpg)
Shortly after CBS announced that “The Drew Barrymore Show” will return with new episodes on September 18, Barrymore took to Instagram to share her thoughts on returning amid the strike.
“I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, which may have my name on it, but this is bigger than just me,” she said in her announcement. “I own this choice.”
Many left comments about her decision. Popular TikToker Elyse Myers was among those who wrote: “Please, I urge you to reconsider. This will be detrimental to your writers in the long run and will affect them far beyond this show. Others shared the same sentiment.
“Are you going to walk the picket line past your own writers? Disappointing,” wrote another.