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WGA strike prompts Barrymore to pull out as host of MTV awards
The Industry May 05, 2023
| Photo courtesy of Drew Barrymore
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The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards will be held as scheduled Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, but Drew Barrymore announced Thursday she is pulling out as host in solidarity with the striking Writers Guild of America.
“I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike,” Barrymore said in a statement first obtained by Variety. “Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me.”
Barrymore has agreed to return next year to host the ceremony.
“I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with,” she said. “And I can’t wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive.”
The ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, and while the telecast is going forward, it remains unclear how many nominees or presenters will still attend the event in light of the strike. The show’s executive producer, Bruce Gillmer, told Variety even he is still waiting to hear who will show up. The event has also scrapped plans for the traditional red-carpet arrivals.
MTV officials told Variety Barrymore will likely still be seen during the telecast thanks to segments she had already prerecorded for the show.
“She’s more of a partner really, she’s in it every day, just super passionate and super engaged and creative,” Gillmer told the publication. “She even bought some of her own team along for the journey. So when this all reared its head, we started to prepare for what could be. She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers, which we have full respect for. She has our full support.”
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