Drew Barrymore Bails on MTV Awards Show, Honoring Strike

It's one of the first tangible effects of note from the new Hollywood writers' strike: Drew Barrymore said Thursday she will no longer host this weekend's MTV Movie & TV Awards as planned, reports Variety. Sunday night's show will instead go hostless, and it won't feature any red carpet interviews with stars. “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. “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 also said she looks forward to hosting the show next year—and it appears there are no hard feelings. "We understand and deeply respect her decision,” said Bruce Gillmer, an exec at Paramount, parent of MTV. "She’s a legend—as a host and a fan—and we are excited to welcome her back in 2024." One wild card is whether other celebs who were scheduled to be presenters might bail on the show as well, per Deadline. Gillmore said the show's production is very much in flux. (More Drew Barrymore stories.)