How unions made Drew Barrymore, Bill Maher back down

Drew Barrymore was at the center of Hollywood’s furor after she announced that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ was coming back on air amid the ongoing writers’ strike. But after accusations, internet memes, and a tearful apology, things changed quickly. Read on for the full story!

Image: Drewbarrymore / Instagram

In a social media post, she originally said she owned her choice to go back on air and that her return complies with the rules. She promised not to discuss or promote films or TV shows on the air. "We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time,” she added.

While Barrymore said her name is on the show, she explained that her move was “bigger than just me”. “I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience.”

The Writers Guild of America shared a statement in return. “The Drew Barrymore TV show is a WGA-covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is a violation of WGA strike rules.”

Her announcement to return made many striking workers in Hollywood furious. “This is incredibly disappointing,” comic and writer Adam Conover wrote. “Drew Barrymore’s show employs WGA writers who are currently on strike. She is choosing to go back on the air without them, and forcing her guests to cross a picket line.

The TV personality Felicia Day also didn't mince her words. “Sooo who is writing her opening monologue and literally everything else on this show when it starts up again next week? Scab writers?! Ughhhh gross Drew Barrymore. Gross.”

While there was a lot of outrage, many high-profile celebs liked Barrymore’s Instagram post where she announced her return. Jennifer Garner, Lily Collins, Kristen Bell, Jennifer Aniston and Cara Delevigne were a few to push “like” on the post. Nearly 250,000 people liked it in total.

However, the SAG-AFTRA union, which represents the striking actors, issued a statement to Rolling Stone saying that as an actress, Barrymore’s show “is not struck.” “Programs covered under the Network Television Code are permissible work and a member’s role as host on a covered show would not violate the current strike rules.”

Barrymore was set to host The National Book Awards this year. But in light of her show returning, the National Book Foundation rescinded her invitation to hot. In the statement, the organization highlighted that the awards aim to celebrate the “power of literature and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture.”

The day the show started filming again, on Monday, Sept. 11, two audience members said they were given pins by picketers saying “Writers Guild on Strike.” They put them on their shirts but said as they walked in the door, they were asked to leave because they were wearing the pins, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Just days before the show was set to air, and after one week of filming, Barrymore issued a tearful apology and said she would PAUSE the show's premier until the strike was over. "I want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anyone - it is not who I am," she said. But hours after posting the video, she deleted it and just left a written statement confirming the U-turn.

Image: Drewbarrymore / Instagram

Although Barrymore eventually gave in to the pressure, she wasn't alone in crossing the picket lines. Here are a few others who are being called “scabs.”

According to the Writers’ Guild, host Bill Maher is a member of the striking union. But he also announced he was coming back on air. The union said he would have to cross picket lines too. He was called a scab by many!

"Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns. Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily," he posted.

"My decision to return to work was made when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike. Now that both sides have agreed to go back to the negotiating table I’m going to delay the return of Real Time, for now, and hope they can finally get this," Maher said in the days following Barrymore's announcement.

The all-female daytime chat show has continued filming since the strike was called. At the time, Whoopi Goldberg addressed the audience about the strike, saying it was “very different than most other shows” as it is a primarily unscripted show and that the show would go on without any writers, even though the show had a few unionized writers.

Other daytime talk shows had come under fire too. Those include ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show,’ according to The Hollywood Reporter, which planned on coming back. However, that show gave into pressure from the labor movement as well, also announcing it would push back the premiere date and pause production.

Many in Hollywood were hoping for a resolution to the strike before early September. But that time has come and gone and no real end is in sight. This week, the writers and studios are set to start talking again.