The daily gossip: Drew Barrymore's head writers decline to return, Roy Wood Jr. is leaving 'The Daily Show' amid host search, and more

Three of Drew Barrymore's writers won't be joining her when her show returns

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Drew Barrymore writers won't return
Roy Wood Jr. is leaving 'The Daily Show'
'Saturday Night Live' sets return
Francia Raisa discusses relationship with Selena Gomez
Chris Rock to direct MLK movie

By Brendan Morrow

published 5 October 2023

1. Drew Barrymore's head writers decline to return after strike backlash

All she had to do was wait another two weeks. But Drew Barrymore's writers strike backlash is continuing even now that the strike is over, as three writers have declined to return to her show, a source confirmed to The Week. "The Drew Barrymore Show" extended offers to WGA writers Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon and Liz Koe to return after the Hollywood writers strike recently ended, but they all declined, the source said, adding that new writers are currently being interviewed, and the show will be in compliance with the guild. The news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. White, Kinon and Koe served as co-head writers for Barrymore, who initially planned to bring her talk show back without them while the writers strike was ongoing. After facing backlash, Barrymore reversed that decision and apologized to her "incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today." Following the strike's end, Barrymore will now return on Oct. 16. The Hollywood Reporter

Roy Wood Jr. is signing off. The comedian revealed to NPR he won't return as a correspondent at "The Daily Show" when it comes back from its writers strike hiatus. This comes as the Comedy Central show searches for a new permanent host to replace Trevor Noah. After the reported leading candidate, Hasan Minhaj, recently came under fire over fabricated stories in his stand-up, many fans suggested Wood should get the gig. But Wood told NPR that because he hasn't been offered the hosting job, he needs to figure out what he's doing next, and he "can't come up with Plan B while still working with Plan A." Wood added, though, that he has had a "good run," and he would still consider the permanent hosting job if it was offered to him. A "Daily Show" spokesperson praised Wood as a "comedic genius and beloved teammate" and said the show "can't wait to see what he does next." NPR

Saturday night's alright for the return of "SNL" — specifically, Saturday the 14th. "Saturday Night Live" has revealed when it will be back now that the Hollywood writers strike is over, setting a season premiere date of Oct. 14. The first host of the season will be Pete Davidson, who was set to host in May before the writers strike began, and Ice Spice will be the musical guest. The following week, Bad Bunny will host and serve as musical guest. This return will be despite the fact that the Hollywood actors strike is ongoing. But "SNL" is covered under a different SAG-AFTRA agreement, permitting its cast to perform during the strike. "They are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations," SAG-AFTRA said. Hosts still won't be permitted to promote struck work, though, so Davidson's stories about what it was like to play a Transformer will just have to wait. NBC, SAG-AFTRA

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What went down between Francia Raisa and Selena Gomez? The "How I Met Your Father" star donated a kidney to Gomez in 2017, but there have been rumors of a falling out since then. In 2022, Raisa publicly called out Gomez for saying Taylor Swift is her only friend in the industry. But Raisa supported Gomez on Wednesday by attending the singer's Rare Impact Fund Benefit, where she spoke with Extra. "We trauma-bonded, which is beautiful, but also it can get rocky and tricky," Raisa said. "People grow, relationships change." The actress added that no relationship is "perfect," and sometimes "people need to spend time apart in order to grow individually and then come back together." In July, Gomez shared a birthday tribute to Raisa, after which the actress refollowed Gomez on Instagram. Raisa clarified, though, that any issues between herself and Gomez had "nothing to do with the kidney," and she told Extra that she's happy they're "celebrating and supporting each other." Extra

Chris Rock has a dream, and Steven Spielberg will help make it come true. The comedian is in talks to direct and produce the "definitive cinematic biopic" of Martin Luther King Jr., with Spielberg serving as executive producer, Deadline reported. Universal Pictures has reportedly snagged the rights to "King: A Life," a best-selling biography of King by Jonathan Eig that was published earlier this year. Amblin Partners will reportedly produce the movie. For Rock, this would be his first film as a director since 2014's "Top Five," though he previously helmed 2007's "I Think I Love My Wife" and 2003's "Head of State." "Top Five" was the first of these movies to receive generally positive reviews. Rock also famously had a bit about streets named after King in his stand-up, with the comedian quipping, "If you're on Martin Luther King Boulevard, there's some violence going down." Deadline

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.