Melissa Barrera has reportedly been fired from "Scream VII" over a series of controversial social media posts about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Sources reportedly told Deadline that Barrera, 33, was dropped from the Spyglass Media production due to "her Instagram stories which have been perceived as anti-Semitic."
The 33-year-old Mexican actor became part of the iconic slasher franchise in 2022, taking on leading roles in its fifth and sixth films alongside Jenna Ortega. "Scream VII" is expected to hit the theaters in 2025, as the film got delayed because of the unexpected strikes involving actors and writers this year. Barrera or her representatives have not yet commented on the development.
Drop for Her Anti-Semitic Posts
The actress began addressing the conflict last month, sharing in an Instagram story, "I too come from a colonized country," alongside a Mexican flag logo. In her caption, she added, "Palestine WILL be free," and expressed resilience with the statement, "they tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds."
However, she didn't stop there. In another post, as recently as on Monday, Barrera wrote, "At the end of the day, I'd rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude."
In one social media post, the In the Heights breakout wrote: "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp.
"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."
Variety's source indicates that Barrera's firing stemmed from a specific post that allegedly "floated an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media". In an Instagram Story, she wrote, "Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself."
No Tolerance Policy
A Spyglass spokesperson told Variety in a statement: "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."
Barrera played the role of Sam Carpenter in 2022's "Scream,", sharing the screen with Jenna Ortega, Neve Campbell, and Courteney Cox. She also reprised her role in this year's "Scream VI."
Barrera's first appearance in the horror series garnered $137.7 million worldwide, and her return in the "Scream" sequel, released in March 2023, surpassed the first installment, earning $168.9 million globally.
The news comes as it was reported that Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency UTA following the comments she made at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City on Sunday.
"There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence," the Thelma and Louise actor, 77, reportedly said.
