Drew Barrymore Show writers refuse to return to work despite WGA strike conclusion
Three of Drew Barrymore’s head writers are reportedly refusing to return to work. (Getty)
Writers for The Drew Barrymore Show have refused to return to work despite the conclusion of the WGA (Writers Guild of America) writers’ strike.
The Hollywood icon has found herself three writers short as her daytime talk show prepares to return to air on 16 October.
It comes as a response to Barrymore‘s recent ill-advised attempt to return to filming without her striking writers in the midst of the WGA strike.
Although she preemptively argued that the decision would not technically violate strike rules, the Charlie’s Angels star faced intense scrutiny across the entertainment sector and beyond for returning without her writers, and quickly backpedaled on the decision, apologising for her misstep in a tearful video posted to social media.
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” she wrote in a statement at the time.
“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.
“We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”
Just over one week later, the WGA reached an agreement with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers), allowing for shows like Drew’s to return to work the right way.
In a post to the Drew Barrymore Show‘s official Instagram page on Tuesday (4 October), it was confirmed that Barrymore and her team would be kicking off their fourth season on Monday 16 October.
However, shortly after that announcement dropped, reports surfaced that three of Barrymore’s writers – Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon, and Liz Koe – declined to return to work, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
All three, who shared the title of co-head writer on Drew’s team, had been very vocal throughout the WGA strike.
When Barrymore’s show returned to production during the writer’s strike, White claimed that she and her co-writers learned the news via audience ticket announcements on social media, rather than from colleagues or their boss.
“It is a bummer to hear that the show is going back because it sends a message that union writers are not valuable,” she told the publication at the time.
When asked if she and her co-writers planned to return to the daytime talk show once the strike came to an end, White simply replied: “Maybe no comment.”
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