Melissa Barrera dropped from Scream franchise over pro-Palestine post, she responds

Melissa Barrera, a Mexican actress most recognised for her parts in the fifth and sixth Scream films, has allegedly been fired from Scream VII because of remarks she made on Instagram about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Alongside Jenna Ortega, the 33-year-old actress debuted in the cult horror series in 2022. Barrera was removed from the upcoming sequel by Spyglass Media due to posts she made on the Israel-Hamas conflict that were deemed to be anti-Semitic.

“Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” a Spyglass spokesperson told Variety.

As per People, in one written message from her Instagram Story quoted in the report and circulating social media after the news, Barrera allegedly wrote, "I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself."

After being fired, Melissa broke her silence on the issue and said, "First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need."

She further wrote, "Every person on this earth- regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status- deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom. I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom."

Barrera ended her statement with the following: “Silence is not an option for me.”

Barrera played the character Sam Carpenter in both Scream (2022) and Scream VI this year. Her character was introduced as the daughter of Scream villain Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). She is also the older sister to Tera, which is essayed by Jenna Ortega.

Jenna will also not be returning for Scream VII. The actor's exit is due to the conflict in her shooting schedule for Wednesday S2, unabling her to make dates for the Scream franchise.

The last instalment, Scream VI, was released in March. The slasher film also starred Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox, among others. It was written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick.