Movie
The actress said she condemns anti-Semitism and Islamophobia after she was banned from the horror film franchise over social media posts that were interpreted as anti-Semitic
Guard staff
Thu, November 23, 2023, 11:04 a.m. GMT
Scream franchise star Melissa Barrera has publicly responded to her firing from Scream VII for sharing posts that were interpreted as anti-Semitic, according to the film’s production company. The actress said she condemns anti-Semitism and Islamophobia but will “continue to speak out on the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
Barrera, who starred in the fifth and sixth Scream films and was also set to star in the upcoming seventh installment, has been outspoken in support of Palestine on social media, describing Israel as committing “genocide” and “brutally killing innocent Palestinians.” mothers and children, under the pretext of destroying Hamas.”
“Western media only shows that [Israeli] Page. I’ll let you explain why they do this,” she wrote on Oct. 22, adding, “We don’t need more hate.” No Islamophobia. No anti-Semitism.”
On Tuesday, Barrera was fired from Scream VII by production company Spyglass Media, which confirmed to Variety that the decision was due to some of her social media posts that were interpreted as anti-Semitic.
“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,” a Spyglass spokesperson told Variety. The Guardian has not confirmed which posts Spyglass was referring to.
In a now-deleted post on X on Tuesday, Scream VII director Christopher Landon wrote: “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop screaming. That wasn’t my decision.”
On Wednesday, Barrera made a statement on Instagram Stories. “First and foremost, I condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hatred and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.
“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,” she continued.
“Every person on this earth… deserves equal human rights, equal dignity and of course freedom. 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. Staying silent is not an option for me.”
Scream VII was thrown into further chaos on Wednesday when Barrera’s co-star Jenna Ortega reportedly dropped out of the film due to a scheduling conflict with the Netflix show’s second season. Ortega and Barrera both starred in the previous two Scream films as sisters Tara and Sam Carpenter.
Barrera is the latest person in Hollywood to come under fire for posts and actions related to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Susan Sarandon stopped by a talent agency after making remarks at a pro-Palestine rally
On Tuesday, Susan Sarandon was fired from Hollywood talent agency UTA after she gave a speech at a pro-Palestine rally. The Oscar-winning actor received criticism for saying, “Nowadays a lot of people are afraid of being Jewish and getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.”
And last month, Maha Dakhil, co-head of film at Hollywood agency CAA, resigned from the agency’s board following backlash over her shared Instagram posts, which read, in part: “What’s more heartbreaking, as a witness to genocide?” I am witnessing the denial that genocide is taking place.” Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin then announced that he was leaving CAA, saying: “Maha is not an anti-Semitic, she is simply wrong.”
Dakhil later publicly apologized. “I made a mistake with a repost on my Instagram that used hurtful language,” she said. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused.”
{{#Ticker}}
{{top left}}
{{bottom left}}
{{top right}}
{{bottom right}}
{{#goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/ticker}}
{{Headline}}
{{#paragraphs}}
{{.}}
{{/paragraphs}}{{highlightedText}}
{{#choiceCards}}
One-time, monthly, yearly
Other
{{/choiceCards}}We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Watch for a message in your inbox. If you have any questions about contributing, please contact us.