Philippe Bosse / Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Melissa Barrera opens up about her exit from the Scream franchise after comments she made on social media about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a new interview, Barrera said it was “shocking” that she was left out of Scream VII after playing the lead role of Sam Carpenter from 2022's Scream V.
“It was shocking,” Barrera told Rolling Stone. “I don't even know what to say. I think everything that happened was very transparent to both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity, a place of human rights and a place of freedom came for people, which should not be controversial. It shouldn’t be up for debate.”
She continued: “So, I feel very comfortable. The people in my family who know me know the truth about me and where I stand, and I think most of the world knows that too.”
Spyglass Media cut Barrera off, saying in a statement: “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. “
After it was announced that Barrera would no longer be starring in the Scream franchise, her sister, played by Jenna Ortega, also dropped out, citing scheduling conflicts with the Netflix series Wedwig.
In the same interview, the reporter asked about Ortega's departure and said, “That didn't seem to be the whole story. It seemed like there was a certain sisterly solidarity.”
“Listen, Jenna is a good egg. She is a good person and we love each other. She would show up for me and I would definitely show up for her,” Barrera added.
Following the turmoil, Scream 7 director Christopher Landon also announced he was stepping down from his duties.
The film's cast recently reunited at MPTF's 17th Annual Evening Before Gala and posed for photos together, including Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Jack Quaid and Barrera's on-screen father and OG Ghostface Skeet Ulrich.