Drew Barrymore is bowing out as host of this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.
The actress and talk-show favorite will not be on hand for Sunday’s telecast (8 p.m. ET/PT), in a show of solidarity for the Writers Guild of America members who are on strike. Instead, she is planning to watch from home, according to a statement obtained by Variety.
“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. “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.”
She will return to host the show next year. USA TODAY reached out to MTV and Barrymore’s representatives for comment.
Writers strike explained:Why the WGA walked out, what it means for TV and film
Sunday’s telecast will still go on, but will now be hostless, Variety reports. Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Halle Bailey, Gal Gadot and Tiffany Haddish are among the big names slated to present during the ceremony, although there is no word yet whether any of them will follow Barrymore’s lead.
The Writers Guild of America, the union representing most of Hollywood’s writers, went on strike Tuesday. Writers are primarily looking for more compensation, with many pointing to the rise of streaming as having a negative effect on their earnings.
The strike has had a domino effect on TV this week, with late-night shows hosted by Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon all going dark in solidarity with strikers. “Saturday Night Live,” which was set to wrap its current season this month, also canceled this weekend’s episode hosted by Pete Davidson.
Contributing: Kelly Lawler
