Drew Barrymore's Writers Are Not Returning Amid Controversy, Despite End of Strike The new season is slated to return to air on October 16.
By Emily Rella
Key Takeaways
- Three of the head writers on "The Drew Barrymore Show" will not return.
- The decision comes after Barrymore had initially decided to tape her show, despite writers being on strike.
- Barrymore reversed her decision days after uproar from colleagues and fans.
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The Writers' Guild of America may have reached a tentative agreement to end the union's months-long strike, but it looks like not all writers are eager to get back to work.
Drew Barrymore made waves last month when announcing that Season 4 of "The Drew Barrymore Show" would return to air on September 18, despite the strike still being in place. Now, three of the show's head writers are reportedly refusing to return to the job.
The talk show host was met with harsh criticism and reversed her decision days later in a tearful apology posted to social media, which has since been deleted and replaced with a written statement declaring that Barrymore and her show stood in solidarity with the WGA and would not continue with taping.
The Los Angeles Times confirmed that Cristina Kinon, Chelsea White, and Liz Koe will not be returning to their posts at the talk show and that Barrymore and her staff are currently interviewing new replacements.
The WGA strike ended on September 24 when the union formed a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, less than one week after Barrymore had originally planned to start the new season of her talk show.
It's noted that the SAG-AFTRA strike, which began in July, is still ongoing.
"It's about labor and unions all over the world and respecting that people need to fight for a fair deal," Kinon said while picketing a taping of "Drew Barrymore" during the strike following Barrymore's announcement of her plan to continue filming. "That's what the Writers' Guild is doing, and I support that."
Related: Affleck, Damon Offered to Pay Kimmel's Staff Amid Writer's Strike
Late-night talk shows like "The Tonight Show" are already back on air with new episodes, while others like "The Kelly Clarkson Show" are slated to begin filming again in the coming weeks.
"The Drew Barrymore Show" is set to return for Season 4 on October 16.
