Drew Barrymore Dropped by Hosting Gig Amid Brouhaha

Drew Barrymore was already getting a lot of online flak for resuming her talk show amid the Hollywood strikes, followed by show staffers kicking out two audience members who were wearing WGA pins at the first taping, but now there's some tangible fallout: The National Book Awards has rescinded its invitation to her to host its upcoming awards ceremony amid the controversy. "The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture," the National Book Foundation, which presents the awards, wrote in a statement cited by CBS News and the New York Times.

Barrymore had previously been set to host the November 15 ceremony in New York City, but "in light of the announcement that the Drew Barrymore Show will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore's invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony," the statement continues. "Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the Awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation." Colson Whitehead, the author who won the National Book Award in 2016, had pointed out the controversial nature of the foundation allowing her to act as host amid all the uproar over her decision to go back on the air sans unionized writers.