Melissa Barrera speaks out about ‘shocking’ Scream firing

Scream franchise star was dropped from the forthcoming sequel over comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war

Melissa Barrera has spoken out about her recent firing from Scream VII over comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war.

In November, the 33-year-old In the Heights star was dropped from the sequel after the film’s production company Spyglass Media found that one of her posts about the war “floated an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media”.

She had written on her Instagram Story: “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”

Addressing the firing in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Barrera argued that her Instagram posts “shouldn’t be controversial”.

“I’m not the first person that’s happened to, but it was shocking,” she said about her firing.

“I don’t even know what to say. I think everything that happened was very transparent, on both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity and a place of human rights and a place of freedom for people, which shouldn’t be controversial,” the Mexican actor said.

“It shouldn’t be up for debate. So, I’m very at peace. The people who know me in my family know the truth about me and where I stand, and I think most people in the world also do.”

She continued by reiterating her stance on the war, confirming that she was calling for a ceasefire in Gaza “for the well-being of both sides of that wall”.

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in ‘Scream’ (Spyglass Media)

“An end to the violence. That’s it. An end to the violence for everyone’s peace and security. Just… humanity,” Barrera added.

The actor, who starred alongside Jenna Ortega in the 2022 Scream and 2023 Scream 6, was in attendance at the ongoing 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where she joined a Pro-Palestine protest.

Following Barrera’s firing, news of her co-star Ortega exiting the film also broke. According to reports, the 21-year-old had dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Addressing Ortega’s exit, Barrera called the 21-year-old Wednesday star a “good egg”.

“She’s a good person and we love each other. She would show up for me and I would show up for her no matter what,” Barrera told Rolling Stone.

In December, the film’s director Christopher Landon announced his departure from the movie, telling fans that it had originally been a “dream job that turned into a nightmare”.