Melissa Barrera Fired from ‘Scream 7’ Over Pro-Palestine Statements

Mexican-born actress Melissa Barrera, known for her role in the “Scream” franchise, has been “quietly let go” from the upcoming sequel, “Scream 7”, according to a report from Variety.

The reason for her departure is believed to be due to her social media posts supporting Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter, a central character in the franchise, has been outspoken on her Instagram Stories about the crisis in the Middle East.

In one Instagram post, she wrote, “I too come from a colonized country. Palestine WILL be free. They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.” In another, she compared Gaza to a concentration camp and accused Western media of censoring the atrocities happening there.

The Variety report states that Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the “Scream” franchise, decided to part ways with Barrera due to these posts. They particularly took issue with Barrera referring to Israel as a ‘colonized’ land and her insinuating that Jews control the media, a trope considered anti-Semitic. A representative from Spyglass declined to comment when approached by Variety.

In the “Scream” series, Barrera’s character, Sam Carpenter, grapples with her legacy of being related to the original Ghostface killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), and protects her half-sister and fellow classmates from new murderers. Barrera’s departure raises questions about how “Scream 7” will handle her character’s storyline.

This news comes after the August 2023 announcement of “Scream 7”, with Christopher Landon, director of “Happy Death Day”, taking over from Radio Silence, the directing duo behind the fifth and sixth films.

Barrera’s exit from the franchise highlights the potential professional consequences of an actor’s off-screen political beliefs. It also brings to light the complex dynamic between personal activism and the entertainment industry’s tolerance for it. It remains to be seen how Barrera’s departure will impact her career and the future of the “Scream” franchise.