Melissa Barrera has spoken out after news broke that she will not be appearing in Scream 7.
The Hollywood Reporter claimed earlier this week that Barrera was dismissed from the sequel due to comments she made about the Israel-Palestine conflict on social media, which she addressed via a lengthy post on her Instagram Story.
“First and foremost I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need," she began.
"Every person on this earth — regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status — deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom. I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism.”
Barrera continued: “I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom."
She then ended her post: "Silence is not an option for me.”
What to Read Next
Barrera's statement came after The Hollywood Reporter reported that she'd compared the situation in Gaza to concentration camps and likened it to "genocide and ethnic cleansing" by the Israeli government. However, she also expressed sympathy and support for the Jewish community.
Digital Spy reached out to Barrera's representatives for comment on the situation. Producers Spyglass Media Group have declined to comment.
Barrera has starred in the past two Scream films as Sam Carpenter, a survivor of the Woodsboro murder spree and daughter of infamous killer Billy Loomis.
She previously told Digital Spy that there was "so much potential" for where Sam could go in future movies because of her connections to the franchise's legacy.
"There's so much potential here of where she could go with her mental health — she's just unpredictable. I find that that darkness in her makes her that much more interesting to play and to watch," Barrera said.
"She's the hero, but she's also kind of the villain. It's this contradiction in her that I find fascinating and, if we get to do another one, I would love to see.
"The writers have done a really good job with her up until this point, so I trust them just to know where to take her [in a way] that will be unexpected and cool for the fans."
The seventh Scream film was greenlit in August, with Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) taking over from previous directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Scream creator Kevin Williamson recently expressed hope that Neve Campbell will return as Sidney Prescott after she left the last film following a pay dispute.
Campbell has thus far cast doubt on possibly returning to Scream because she found the pay dispute to be "disrespectful" given her importance to the franchise.
"I really do believe that the offer would have been different had I been male. I can't prove that, but it's the feeling I have — the way I was treated was not great. It feels disrespectful, so at what point does self-respect come into play? It always needs to be there,” she said at the Toronto Film Festival.
Scream VI is streaming on Paramount+, and the seventh film is in the works.
You Might Like...
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
Sub-editor, Digital Spy
Emily has a BA in Media with a pathway in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and an MA in Film, Television, and Screen Industries from the University of Nottingham. She has worked as a freelance journalist since she was a teenager, and now writes and sub-edits stories about celebrities, TV shows, movies, and lifestyle features.
Emily currently works for Digital Spy and Static Media and has had her work featured in various online and print outlets over the years, including Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Harper's Bazaar, The Inquisitr, Nicki Swift, Women.com, Mirror and Yahoo.
