Two audience members were barred from attending the tapings of The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday for wearing pins in support of the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Dominic Turiczek and Cassidy Carder were escorted out of the CBS building by security officers, who they claim “verbally assaulted” them.
According to a statement released to Deadline by the show, Barrymore was not aware of the events, but the crew was on high alert as a result of the backlash and the picket line that formed outside of the studio.
Although the writers’ strike has been underway for over four months in Hollywood, the major economic and financial consequences are only now starting to show. Writers and crew alike are running out of resources and struggling to support themselves and their families, as is otherwise the goal of major studio heads who have been refusing to meet the Guild’s demands.
Drew Barrymore has gone back to making her talk show without staff writers in order to reportedly provide for the rest of her crew who has been out of work since May. In a statement shared on her Instagram account, the actress said the show is “bigger than just [her],” and that she hopes to “provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience.”
Turiczek and Carder were not aware of the strikes until they found union members picketing outside of the CBS Broadcast Center. They accepted WGA pins before entering the building to attend the tapings. They told Deadline that they went as far as signing the wagers, only to be escorted out not long after. They didn’t get to see the host or her guests. Outraged by the occurrence, they then decided to join the protests in solidarity.
“It’s really cute that Drew Barrymore claims that she cares about her fans and wants her fans to show up for the show, and then we get kicked out for supporting what is right,” Turiczek said.
Published: Sep 12, 2023 07:08 am