The Drew Barrymore Show has banned two audience members from tapings due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The incident came to light after Dominic Turiczek claimed he was forced to leave the live taping because he and another audience member were wearing t-shirts and pins in support of the strike. Turiczek shared his experience on social media, stating that they were verbally assaulted by the show’s crew.
In response to the incident, a representative for the show stated that Drew Barrymore was “completely unaware” of the situation. They clarified that it is their policy to welcome everyone to their show tapings, but due to heightened security concerns, two audience members were not allowed access. The representative also mentioned that they are reaching out to the affected audience members to offer them new tickets.
Last weekend, Drew Barrymore released a statement explaining her choice to return to the show despite the strike action. She mentioned that she had previously walked away from hosting other awards shows to stand in solidarity with the writers during the strike. However, she made the decision to come back for her own show, but emphasized that the show will comply with strike guidelines and not discuss or promote struck film and television.