Melissa Barrera Speaks Out In First Statement Since Scream VII Firing

After she was dropped from the upcoming installment in the perennially popular "Scream" franchise, Melissa Barrera is addressing the social media posts that allegedly led to Spyglass Media Group cutting her from the project.

On November 21, news broke that Barrera had been let go from "Scream VII," allegedly due to statements the actor had made on social media regarding the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, specifically about the plight of Palestinian civilians. Producers Spyglass Media Group later released a statement regarding Barrera's firing that read, "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." 

Social media has been alight with discussion regarding Barrera's statements, the producers' accusations of antisemitism and hate speech, and her apparent firing. Now, the actor herself has released a statement. 

"First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia," Barrera wrote on her Instagram story (as recorded by Deadline). "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."

Barrera continued on to say, "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." 

Barrera's statement concluded thusly: "I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism. 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. Silence is not an option for me."

There has been widespread debate about the situation in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched a military campaign in the region following the October 7 attack by Hamas. Barrera is far from the only person in the entertainment industry to face consequences after speaking out regarding the well-being of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — agent Maha Dakhil faced repercussions from Creative Arts Agency following statements she made about the conflict.

In a fairly interesting twist, Jenna Ortega — who stars alongside Melissa Barrera in the modern "Scream" films — suddenly exited "Scream VII," citing scheduling issues with her Netflix original series "Wednesday." For the record, her team insisted that her departure was unrelated to Barrera's firing, per Deadline, who says that the exit actually happened due to the recently settled SAG-AFTRA strike.

In any case, it's well within Barrera's rights to clarify her comments, which were characterized as "hate speech" by Spyglass Media Company. Barrera has also made things unequivocally clear: she does not support hatred or ceaseless violence. Though it seems unlikely that she'll return to the "Scream" franchise in any form after this, she's said her peace in the wake of her dismissal.