Drew Barrymore faced public backlash after announcing on September 10, 2023, that she would resume production of The Drew Barrymore Show despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which had begun in May 2023, and the SAG-AFTRA strike, which had begun in July. Barrymore apologized for the decision and tried to explain her reasoning, saying, “I believe there is nothing I can say or do in this moment to make it ok,” and “I wanted to accept responsibility and no I don’t have a PR machine behind this.” The controversy centered on the fact that Barrymore’s show had previously employed WGA-affiliated writers. Critics argued that bringing the show back during the strike undermined striking writers and created the possibility that writing work associated with jokes, interviews, monologues, or other production elements could be performed while the Guild’s labor action was still underway.
Although The Drew Barrymore Show was not considered in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules because it was covered by a separate contract, the decision still drew strong criticism from WGA members, who picketed outside Barrymore’s New York production studio. Fans and commentators also criticized the move, with some describing Barrymore as out of touch and disloyal to labor solidarity. On September 17, 2023, Barrymore reversed course and announced that she would delay the show’s return until the writers’ strike ended. The delay was temporary: after the WGA strike concluded, The Drew Barrymore Show returned on October 16, 2023. The case became a prominent example of a celebrity apology shaped by labor politics, public pressure, and questions about responsibility during an industry-wide strike.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Bolstering, Good Intentions
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Transcript
I believe there is nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it ok. 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 is just nothing I can do that will make this ok for those it is not ok with. I fully accept that; I fully understand that.
There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anyone, its not who I am. I have been through so many ups and down in my life, and this is one of them.
I deeply apologize to writers. I deeply apologize to unions. I deeply apologize.
I don’t exactly know what to say because sometimes when things are so tough, it’s hard to make decisions from that place. So, all I can say is that I wanted to accept responsibility and no I don’t have a PR machine behind this.
My decision to go back 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 and publicists and corporate rhetoric. I will just stand out there and accept and be responsible.
There is a huge question of the why? Why am I doing this? Well, I certainly couldn’t have expected this kind of attention. And we aren’t gonna break rules and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this because, as I said this is bigger than me, and there are other people’s jobs on the line. And since launching “Live” in a pandemic I just wanted to make a show that was there for people in sensitive times. And I weighed the scales, and I thought if we could go on during a global pandemic and everything that the world has experienced though 2020, why would this sideline us? So, I want to just put one foot in front of the other and make a show that is there for people regardless of anything else that is happening in the world because that is when I think we all need something that wants to be there being very realistic in very realistic times. So that is my why.
