Scream franchise star Melissa Barrera has publicly responded to being fired from Scream VII for sharing posts that the film’s production company says were interpreted as antisemitic.
Barrera issued a statement on Instagram stories. She wrote:
“First and foremost I condemn antisemitism 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.
Every person on this earth … 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. Silence is not an option for me.”
Since news broke that Melissa Barrera will no longer be starring in Scream VII, the horror community has been in shock.
Before her departure was announced, she reshared a quote from another account on her Instagram story which read:
“At the end of the day, I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude.”
That post has been interpreted by some of her followers as a reference to her being sacked from the film.
The actor was dropped from the project after a series of social media posts in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War.
Following the announcement Jenna Ortega’s exit was also announced from the franchise due to scheduling conflicts.
Barrera first appeared in SCREAM, the 2022 feature that earned $137.7 million globally and combined generations of cast-members from the franchise. Barrera’s Sam Carpenter was the lead of that film, and the older sister of Jenna Ortega’s Tera. Barrera also starred in Scream VI, which was released in March and topped $168.9 million at the global box office.
Spyglass & Christopher Landon releases statements regarding Melissa Barrera removal from Scream VII
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