Drew Barrymore steps down from hosting MTV Movie & TV Awards in support of writers’ strike
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
Drew Barrymore is standing in solidarity with striking members of the Writers Guild of America by stepping down as the host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards that is scheduled to air on Sunday.
“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 on Thursday in a statement shared with CNN.
“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,” her statement continued.
Barrymore added that she “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.”
Bruce Gillmer, executive producer of the MTV Movie & TV Awards, said on Thursday in a statement to Variety that Barrymore has the “full support” of show producers as she steps down as this year’s host, and added that the show is now essentially “going hostless.”
CNN has reached out to Paramount+ and MTV for comment.
A source close to the MTV Movie & TV Awards confirmed to CNN that Barrymore will return to host the 2024 edition of the show. They also confirmed that this year’s show will no longer feature a press line or red carpet.
The MTV Movie & TV Awards is the latest television event to be affected by the strike. Earlier this week, CNN reported that the late night shows and “Saturday Night Live” are turning to repeats as their writers join the picket lines, according to production sources.
A strike began on Tuesday after the WGA and the major Hollywood studios represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on terms of a new contract Monday night.
Members of the guild have been picketing outside of studios on the West and East coasts since Tuesday afternoon, with no end to the strike in sight.
The MTV Movie & TV Awards is still currently scheduled to air live on MTV on Sunday at 8pm in the viewer’s time zone.
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