Melissa Barrera breaks her silence after being fired from Scream VII.
“First and foremost, I condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hatred and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” Barrera said in a statement shared on Instagram Stories.
Barrera’s post comes after Spyglass Media dropped her from the horror franchise over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“As a Latina, a proud Mexican, I feel the responsibility to have a platform that gives me the privilege to be heard and that is why I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues that are close to my heart and to lend my voice to those affected,” Barrera’s statement continued. “Every person on this earth – regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status – deserves equal human rights, dignity and of course freedom.
RELATED: Melissa Barrera has quit Spyglass Media’s “Scream 7” due to social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict
She continued: “I believe that a group of people is NOT their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no violence and for peaceful coexistence. I will continue to stand up for those who need it most and continue to advocate for peace and security, for human rights and freedom.”
Barrera ended her statement by saying, “Silence is not an option for me.”
In a statement after it was announced that Barrera would not be continuing her role as Sam Carpenter, Spyglass Media detailed the reasons why they dropped the Mexican actress.
“Spyglass’ position is unequivocal: we have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or incitement to hatred in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, or anything that blatantly crosses the line into hate speech,” it said the declaration.
A day after Barrera was axed from Scream VII, it was confirmed that Jenna Ortega would also not be returning to the horror film.
Check out Barrera’s Instagram Stories post below.
Melissa Barrera’s Statement After Her Fire from Scream VII Instagram @melissabarreram