Amid the ongoing strike shaking Hollywood, Drew Barrymore has unexpectedly become the industry's new focal point of controversy, sparking debates both on and off the screen.
Long known for her contributions to cinema and television, the actress has found herself at odds with colleagues and critics for what many perceive as a betrayal of her fellow industry professionals striving for improved working conditions.
Despite her initial support for the protests, Barrymore has recently taken a different stance. While the strike has halted the production of numerous series and films, she has opted to carry on with her show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," without the syndicated scriptwriters who are members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) – the very union that initiated the strike. This decision has drawn sharp criticism from within the industry and beyond.
Drew Barrymore's career, which spans iconic films like "50 First Dates" and "Never Been Kissed," along with her Netflix series "Santa Clarita Diet," had taken a backseat to her television program. Her show, which she both produces and directs, now finds itself at the heart of the controversy that has engulfed the actress, once known as the child star from "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."
While Barrymore initially stood with the striking writers, acknowledging the prolonged delay in her show's production, she subsequently made the unpopular choice to exclude WGA writers and swiftly resume filming. This decision has sparked outrage within the industry, with numerous prominent figures voicing their dissent.
Actress Felicia Day, best known for her role as Vi in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," expressed her dismay on Twitter, saying, "So who is going to write the opening monologue and literally anything on this show when it starts again next week? The non-union ones?! Ugh, gross Drew Barrymore. How disgusting." Comedian Adam Conover also criticized her action, urging her to reconsider: "This is incredibly disappointing. 'The Drew Barrymore Show' employs writers union employees who are on strike. She chooses to re-air without them and forces her guests to cross the picket line. Drew, this hurts your writers and all union workers. Please reconsider."
The controversy surrounding Barrymore's show didn't stop there. On the very first day of the program's broadcast, two New York students who had tickets to attend the filming were ejected from the set for wearing badges from the WGA picket lines in solidarity with the striking writers and actors. While the program claimed that Barrymore was unaware of this incident and subsequently issued an apology, the students have now joined the ranks of protesters, declaring, "If they think we are part of the strike, maybe we should be."
