Drew Barrymore drops out as MTV Movie & TV Awards host before show

Drew Barrymore has dropped out of hosting Sunday’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, just days before it’s set to broadcast.

The actress and TV host has done so in support of the Writers Guild of America members and their ongoing strike, she said in a statement.

The 2023 awards are still set to air Sunday, however, they will do so without a host or any Writers Guild of America scribes.

MTV has also called off the red carpet for the awards ceremony. It’s not known yet if any other talent will pull out, Variety reported.

Barrymore has agreed to return to host the 2024 awards and is expected to appear in the pre-recorded segments in Sunday’s show.

In a statement, Barrymore, 48, said has decided not to host out of respect for the writers.

“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,” the statement read. “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. I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with,” Barrymore’s statement continued. “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 MTV Movie & TV Awards is the first scheduled awards show since the WGA called a strike on Monday night.

The WGA announced in the early hours on Tuesday that its 11,500 screenwriter members will refuse to work after the union and studios failed to agree on a new three-year contract.

The board of directors at WGA unanimously called for Hollywood’s first strike in 15 years, claiming that the leading companies have made it difficult for writers to hold down a steady job.

“The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a previous statement.

WGA said streaming services have completely changed the industry and the old system for how screenwriters are compensated, including for residuals, needs to be completely revamped.