Drew Barrymore deletes tearful apology for restarting TV show amid ...

Days after announcing that her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, would return for the fourth season amid SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, actor Drew Barrymore issued a tearful apology via a video on her Instagram on Friday. However, hours after making her case and getting flak for it, the talk show host deleted the video. (Also Read: The show must go on: Hollywood production houses gets back to work; leaves writers' strike in lurch)

Drew took to Instagram on Friday and posted an apology in which she's visibly teared up. She said, “I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it okay. I wanted to own a decision so it wasn’t a PR-protected situation and I would just take full responsibility for my actions. 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, that’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life and this is one of them.”

She then apologised to the writers protesting in the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. “I deeply apologise to writers. I deeply apologize to unions. I certainly couldn't have expected this kind of attention, and we aren't going to 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.”

Earlier, when Drew announced the return of her talk show on September 18, the SAG-AFTRA, which she is a part of, supported her decision by saying that her show falls under "permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules."

However, the Writer's Guild of America condemned the decision and said, “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 in violation of WGA strike rules.”

WGA member and TV writer David Slack also criticised Drew's statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, “Writers don’t need an apology, @DrewBarrymore. We need you to stop doing a show that cannot be made without scab writing. When you cause harm, apologies are meaningless until you stop causing harm. Just #StopScabbingDrew.”

The widespread flak led to Drew deleting her apology video hours later.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming services and production companies in union negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week.