Update #2: After another round of backlash in response to a video (since deleted) justifying her decision to bring back her talk show tomorrow, Drew Barrymore has announced that she’s pausing the show’s return.

“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram. “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”

Your turn, Bill Maher and Jennifer Hudson.

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Update: Barrymore has deleted her video after more blowback.

Though other daytime talk shows that use WGA writers have returned without writers (The View, Live with Kelly), Drew Barrymore’s decision to cross the picket line after showing early support for the WGA strike has drawn fierce criticism over the last week. It’s also resulted in a decision by the National Book Awards to rescind its invitation for Barrymore to host their ceremony.

The first episode of the return of her daytime talk show will air on Monday, and ahead of it, Drew Barrymore has delivered a statement on Instagram addressing the backlash. “I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK,” Barrymore says in the video. “I wanted to own a decision, so that it wasn’t a PR-protected situation, and I would just take full responsibility for my actions.”

“I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with. I fully accept that. I fully understand that. There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anymore. It’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them,” she said.

Here’s the full video:

[Deleted]

In answer to the question of why she’s returning, Barrymore offered only that the situation is complicated and “bigger than just her” and that “there are other people’s jobs on the line.” She also reiterated that she brought her show back during the pandemic and it is a show, she believes, that is made for “sensitive times.” Unlike her return during the pandemic, however, Barrymore’s show is not bringing comfort to those most affected by the strike. It is, in fact, making it more difficult for WGA writers to negotiate their deal.