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Two Audience Members Claim They Were 'Kicked Out' and 'Verbally Assaulted' at Taping of 'The Drew Barrymore Show' Amid WGA Strike The show is set to begin airing Season 4 on September 18.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Drew Barrymore is in hot water after announcing that she would resume filming her talk show amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which has been in place since May 2023.

In a statement posted on Instagram over the weekend, Barrymore explained that her decision to step away from hosting the MTV Movie & TV awards last spring was because "it had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with which was studios, streamers, film, and television" and that she thought the "appropriate thing at the time to stand in solidarity with the writers."

Barrymore then shared that her show wrapped on April 20, so she never had to technically cancel taping the show, but now that it's time for the new season, "The Drew Barrymore Show" will go on, despite the strikes. (The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are also on strike with the WGA.)

Related: Affleck, Damon Offered to Pay Kimmel's Staff Amid Writer's Strike

"We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real-time," Barrymore wrote. "I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible."

Season 4 of the Drew Barrymore show is set to return on September 18.

Barrymore's decision was met with criticism from the Writers Guild of America who announced via their own social media that they would be picketing the show, as it is a "WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers."

On Monday, a man named Dominic Turiczek claimed that he and a friend were kicked out of the show (after winning tickets to watch a taping) for wearing WGA pins, not realizing that Barrymore's show was involved in the dispute with the ongoing writer's strike.

Related: Pete Davidson's 'SNL' Return Canceled Amid Writers' Strike

Once inside, Turiczek claims he "got kicked out" and "verbally assaulted" by staff, prompting him to grab a shirt and join the strike himself.

A spokesperson for "The Drew Barrymore Show" confirmed the dismissal of the two audience members to Variety in a statement.

"Due to heightened security concerns today, we regret that two audience members were not permitted to attend or were not allowed access," a spokesperson for the show told the outlet. "Drew was completely unaware of the incident and we are in the process of reaching out to the affected audience members to offer them new tickets."

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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