Drew Barrymore deleted the Instagram video Friday she posted earlier that morning in which she had apologized to writers for resuming production on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
The talk show host and actress was roasted on social media for her decision to carry on with her show despite the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Among those vocal in their disapproval were “The West Wing” star Bradley Whitford, as well as Debra Messing and Alyssa Milano.
Whitford retweeted Barrymore’s video on X with a rather sarcastic caption.
“Drew Barrymore would like you to know that undermining union solidarity at the most crucial moment in Hollywood labor history makes her the victim,” he wrote. “This has been, like, a super tough week for her.”
Before the post was deleted, Messing took to the comments to urge the “Charlie’s Angels” star to “reconsider” her decision.
“You can choose now to halt production,” the former “Will & Grace” star wrote. “You can choose to pay your employees like other talk show hosts who have stood in solidarity with the writers. There are thousands of union members’ jobs and livelihoods that are at stake (exponentially more than those who work on your show) and the future of our beloved industry. I hope you will reconsider.”
Alyssa Milano told the Associated Press that by crossing the picket line, Barrymore’s actions have “impact[ed] the strength of our movement.” She added, “I love her very much. I grew up with her, but I’m not sure that this was the right move for the strike.”
The video was also shared by Vanity Fair writer Molly Jong-Fast, who wrote, “This is so lame. Just say you’re a scab. We don’t need all the throat clearing.”
The Onion sent up Barrymore with a satiric post saying that the talk show host had just opened “her new General Motors assembly plant Thursday amid the impending autoworkers strike.”
The site didn’t spare host Bill Maher, either. To commemorate his return to “Real Time” on HBO Sept. 22, The Onion published an article that said Maher was “concerned his aging fan base would die off before the writers’ strike ended.”
Barrymore was apologetic and emotional in the clip (which you can still view both above and here). Many commented that her lack of makeup was similar to the also-rejected video apology offered by Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher after they wrote letters asking a judge for leniency on “That ’70s Show” costar Danny Masterson’s behalf.
After the backlash to that video, Kutcher stepped down from the anti-trafficking organization Thorn that he cofounded in 2009 with Demi Moore, saying he had made “an error in judgment.”
For all of TheWrap’s Hollywood strike coverage, click here.
