Melissa Barrera Fired from 'Scream' Franchise After Comments on Israel–Hamas War

She has responded to her firing in a since-deleted Instagram post

BY Sydney BrasilPublished Nov 21, 2023

Melissa Barrera has been removed from Scream VII following a series of social media posts she made regarding the Israel–Hamas war.

UPDATE (11/22 11:05 a.m.): Barrera has responded to her firing in a since-deleted Instagram post. "At the end of the day, I'd rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude," she wrote (via UNILAD).

Spyglass — the production company behind Scream — has also responded, saying, "Spyglass' stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech."

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the actor — who starred in Scream VI — was dropped from the next instalment in the franchise after posting her pro-Palestinian stance. She has called for a ceasefire on her Instagram grid, and at time of publication, has many pro-Palestinian posts shared to her story. Her bio only contains a watermelon emoji, which is a symbol of the Palestinian struggle.

"Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp," she wrote in a since-expired Instagram story. "Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING."

Barrera has yet to issue a statement on her firing. Spyglass — the production firm behind the Scream franchise — had no comment.
 

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