Melissa Barrera Responds to ‘Scream 7’ Firing

The Big Picture

• Actress Melissa Barrera publicly condemns hate speech and prejudice, affirming her commitment to speaking up for those who are oppressed.
• Barrera was fired from the Scream franchise by Spyglass Entertainment due to controversial comments she made on Instagram regarding the conflict in Gaza.
• Jenna Ortega has also left the Scream franchise, citing scheduling conflicts and Neve Campbell previously declined to appear in Scream VI due to the inadequate offer made to her. The future of the franchise is uncertain.

After her firing from the latest installment of the Scream franchise by production company Spyglass Entertainment, actress Melissa Barrera has publicly commented for the first time with a message on her social media platforms. The actress shared a post on her Instagram story which appears to refer to her dismissal. In it, she condemns all forms of hate speech and states that as a Latina and a Mexicana, she feels a duty to speak up for those being oppressed across the world, regardless of where they come from or where they have been.

You can read her full statement below:

“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. 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. Silence is not an option for me.”

Barrera was let go by Spyglass in the wake of comments made by the star on Instagram, where she described the events in Gaza — as part of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine — as “genocide and ethnic cleansing,” while another Instagram post added that “the Western media only shows the other side.” You can read her previous comments below:

“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”

Spyglass released a statement to Variety yesterday on the reasons behind Barrera’s dismissal, which read, “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.” Late yesterday evening, Director Christopher Landon shared a despondent response to the news on social media, saying, in a now-deleted Tweet, “This is my statement. Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”

What Does the Future Hold for ‘Scream’ Now?

It gets worse for Scream fans, as Jenna Ortega has also left the franchise, citing “scheduling issues.” Ortega is due to finish work on Beetlejuice before shooting Wednesday in Ireland in the middle of next year. Franchise star Neve Campbell also failed to appear in Scream VI after deeming the offer made to her as derisory.

Scream VII does not currently have a release date or a lead actress. Stay tuned at Collider for further updates. Scream VI is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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