Drew Barrymore came under fire last month when she announced that she would be bringing The Drew Barrymore Show back despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. This prompted an immediate backlash. Although Barrymore attempted to “own this choice,” the damage was done and she reversed the decision the following week. Now that the WGA strike is over, The Drew Barrymore Show is set to return once again, but THR reports that the head writers, Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon, and Liz Koe, have declined to return with it. Uh oh.
Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon, and Liz Koe have been with The Drew Barrymore Show since the first season and clearly weren’t happy with Barrymore’s actions. The trio did receive offers for the new seasons once the strike concluded, but they turned them down. The show is now interviewing new writers to take over.
While picketing outside the studio last month, Chelsea White said that they didn’t learn that The Drew Barrymore Show would be coming back from Drew or any of the producers, but from social media instead. “It is a bummer to hear that the show is going back because it sends a message that union writers are not valuable,” White told THR. When asked if they were going to return to the show once the strike was over, White said, “Maybe no comment.“
Although Drew Barrymore’s choice to return pissed a lot of people off, it didn’t actually violate any WGA or SAG-AFTRA rules. “The Drew Barrymore Show is produced under the Network Television Code which is a separate contract and is not struck,” a SAG-AFTRA rep said at the time. “It is permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules.” Nonetheless, Drew Barrymore didn’t win any fans among the striking writers.
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Drew Barrymore said last month. “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.“