Drew Barrymore has been dropped as a ceremony host for the National Book Foundation due to resuming her talk show amid the current Hollywood strikes. Barrymore was announced as the host in July and was due to host the ceremony on November 15.
In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, the official page of the National Book Foundation gave an update on Barrymore’s status as host.
“The National Book Award is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony. Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation,” the statement read.
The statement comes after Barrymore’s decision to resume filming her show. Barrymore said the program would not use WGA writes and would comply with both WGA and SAG-AFTRA rules.
“The Drew Barrymore Show is produced under the Network Television Code which is a separate contract and is not struck. It is permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules,” a rep for SAG-AFTRA stated.
Barrymore’s decision to continue her show has received backlash from several WGA members, as the location of the talk show, CBS Studios, was picketed by protestors in response to the news.
One of the writers for the show, Chelsea White, said she was shocked and saddened that the show had returned.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, White said, “I think in general, this is obviously bigger than us three writers on The Drew Barrymore Show. It is a bummer to hear that the show is going back because it sends a message that union writers are not valuable. And it goes directly against what the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, all the unions are trying to band together to stand up against the greedy studios.”
