Two audience members at Monday’s taping ofThe Drew Barrymore Showhave claimed they were “kicked out” for expressing their support for theWriters Guild of America (WGA) strike.

The incident occurred shortly after hostDrew Barrymoreannounced on Sunday that she had decided to resume production on her eponymous daytime talk show amid the WGA andSAG-AFTRA strikes.

In apost shared on X(formerly known as Twitter), Dominic Turiczek shared how he was forced to leave the live taping after producers spotted him and another audience member wearing pins and T-shirts in support of the ongoing Hollywood strikes.

Taylor Hill/WireImage; Michael M. Santiago/Getty

‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Attendees Explain Why They Were Ejected as Spokesperson Expresses ‘Regret’ over Incident

Turiczek admitted he “knew about the #WGA strike, just not that they were picketing at Drew’s show.”

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a representative forThe Drew Barrymore Showacknowledged the incident and expressed “regret” over how the situation was handled.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty

Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) East hold signs as they walk on the picket-line outside of the Peacock NewFront on May 02, 2023 in New York City. WGA members were out on the first day of a Hollywood voters strike after the board of directors for the Writers Guild of America, which includes West Coast and East Coast branches, voted unanimously to call for a walkout. Negotiations between a top guild and a trade association that represents Hollywood’s top studios failed to avert the first walkout in more than 15 years. Union members have stated that they are not being paid fairly in the streaming era and are seeking pay increases and structural changes to the business model.

“It is our policy to welcome everyone to our show tapings,” the spokesperson said. “Due to heightened security concerns today, we regret that two audience members were not permitted to attend or were not allowed access. Drew was completely unaware of the incident and we are in the process of reaching out to the affected audience members to offer them new tickets.”

CBS

The Drew Barrymore Show

The 48-year-old actress — who has hosted daytime show since 2020 —released a statementlate last weekend about her decision to bring back her daytime show.

Barrymore continued, “It was also in the first week of the strike and so I did what I thought was the appropriate thing at the time to stand in solidarity with the writers.”

She also made it clear that production on her talk show’s third season finished April 20, which was before the WGA strike began on May 2.

“I own this choice,” Barrymore added in her statement. “We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind."

‘The Drew Barrymore Show’.Ben Watts/ CBS Ventures “The Drew Barrymore Show”

drew barrymore show

The WGA — which represents more than 1,000 writers across television, film, news and online media — has been on strike amid failed negotiations to secure better pay, increased residuals and limits on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the film and television industry.

Like the WGA, after contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) stalled in July, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)began their own strike.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Drew Barrymore Showis scheduled to return on Sept. 18.

source: people.com