Melissa Barrera Fired from ‘Scream VII’ Due to Rhetoric Deemed as Hate Speech Amid Israel-Hamas War
Melissa Barrera, the revived “Scream” franchise’s star, has been dismissed from the upcoming film “Scream 7” because of her social media remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict, USA TODAY can confirm. The news comes following the actor made several pictures on Instagram in support of Palestinians on Tuesday. Spyglass said in a statement that their “stance is unambiguously clear: We have no tolerance for antisemitism or encouragement of hate in any form, especially false allusions to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or any other material that flagrantly exceeds the line into hate speech.”
Melissa Barrera’s post on social media after being dropped from ‘Scream’ for denouncing the genocide in Gaza:
“At the end of the day, I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude.” pic.twitter.com/4YDK8dW7eX
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 21, 2023
On Tuesday, filmmaker Christopher Landon appeared to speak out about Barrera in a since-deleted post to X, formerly Twitter, writing, “This is my statement: Everything sucks.” Please, no more yelling. This was not a choice I made.” Barrera, who made her debut as Vanessa in 2021’s “In the Heights,” rejoined the “Scream” franchise in 2022’s “Scream,” which relaunched the genre after the release of “Scream 4” in 2011. She reprised her role as Sam Carpenter in this year’s “Scream VI,” where she portrays the role of Tara’s (Jenna Ortega) older sister; she is also the daughter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), the original Ghostface.
I think a lot of people forget that before Melissa Barrera even signed on to do Scream (2022), she’s as big of a fan as we all are of the movies. The way she talks about Scream is literally relatable. I can’t believe 🕵️ did this to a sweet fangirl.#JusticeForMelissaBarrera
pic.twitter.com/nDuqmBTns8— dylan (@dylanzaas) November 22, 2023
Melissa Barrera Fired From ‘Scream VII’ Due To Social Media Posts During the Israel-Hamas War
Spyglass Media Group originally declined to comment after Variety reported that the company had fired Melissa Barrera from the cast of “Scream 7.” However, the production company behind the reboot of the hit horror franchise is now denying a narrative that has swiftly emerged around the decision: that Barrera was sacked for expressing support for the Palestinian cause. A spokeswoman instead clarifies that Barrera’s posts were construed as anti-Semitic. “As a result, Spyglass is explicitly clear: “We do not tolerate antisemitism or inciting hatred of any kind, including incorrect references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortions, or anything else that crosses the line into slanderous remarks,” the company’s spokesperson said. Following the October 7 Hamas terror attacks and Israel’s subsequent actions in Gaza, Barrera has been posting about the conflict on Instagram. He has shared posts accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and has reposted content from Jewish Currents magazine that accuses Israel of distorting “the Holocaust to promote the Israeli arms industry.”
Spyglass, the production company behind ‘Scream,’ has released a statement following Melissa Barrera’s removal from the film for her support of Palestine:
“We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide,… pic.twitter.com/YiMzKz8FWV
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 22, 2023
Following the posts, Spyglass promptly severed ties with the “In the Heights” star. Barrera was set to star in the upcoming “Scream” film after anchoring both the fifth and sixth instalments in the previous two years. Barrera is not anymore represented by a publicist. Christopher Landon, who is set to take over directorial duties on “Scream VII” following Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett stepped down after driving the brand revival, initially issued a statement regarding Barrera’s departure. His message on X/Twitter, nevertheless, has now been removed. “Everything is bad. Please, no more yelling. “This was not my choice,” Landon wrote. Barrera, who made her debut as Vanessa in 2021’s “In the Heights,” joins the “Scream” franchise in 2022’s “Scream,” which relaunched the genre after the release of “Scream 4” in 2011. She reprised the role of Sam Carpenter in this year’s “Scream VI,” in which she plays the role of Tara’s (Jenna Ortega) older sister; she is also the daughter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who played the original Ghostface.
not only is spyglass slandering melissa barrera by falsely accusing her of being antisemitic, they’re also actively denying the fact that a genocide & ethnic cleansing is taking place in palestine as we speak. what’s happened today is unspeakably sickening, & it’s only the start. https://t.co/OnmpwQZbO5
— Zoë Rose Bryant (@ZoeRoseBryant) November 22, 2023
By wrongfully firing Melissa Barrera from Scream 7, Spyglass has no idea they’ve angered 2 of the loudest, most powerful groups: horror gays & Mexicans
— Dorina (@DorinaLaBruja) November 22, 2023
we stand with melissa. not shitglass. pic.twitter.com/MsE3Lkl6XY
— sheila beef wellington (@sheilabeef) November 22, 2023
melissa did nothing wrong all she did was speak the truth! we stand with her and with palestine 🇵🇸
— jonny (@smgiscoming) November 22, 2023
