How Hayden Panettiere Feels About Melissa Barrera's Scream Firing

There's been a firestorm of controversy surrounding the firing of Melissa Barrera from the upcoming horror sequel "Scream 7." The actor, who starred in "Scream 6" and appeared in the previous entry in the franchise, was fired from the film after making comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, using terms like "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing."

According to Statista, the casualties of the conflict have been much higher on the Palestinian side, which is part of why the Israeli–Palestinian conflict has split so many on what is right or wrong. While the topic has been incredibly loaded for over 70 years, many fans disagreed with Barrera being removed from the film for her comments, and it turns out that Hayden Panettiere counts herself among them. The "Scream 6" actor called Barrera's firing "very unfair and upsetting."

"After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right?" she told The Messenger (via Variety). "It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else." Panettiere is correct in her assessment, as Barrera's fellow "Scream 6" star Jenna Ortega is among those who have since expressed sympathy and support for Palestine, as are Bradley Cooper, Lupita Nyong'o, Mark Ruffalo, and Alfonso Cuarón.

Hayden Panettiere also mentioned that she contacted Melissa Barrera after learning she had been removed from the project and that Barrera appreciated her checking in. "A lot of people hadn't really asked her how she felt," the actor recalled. However, she also stated that she is "not worried" about her fellow "Scream 6" performer.

Pannetiere went on to praise Barrera for how she handled the controversy and her firing. "Melissa is such a badass as a human being and as an actress," she said. "... She was hurt by it, but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it."

Who will be starring in "Scream 7" is pivotal to how the film will be written, as the series has always had returning legacy characters in each of its many sequels. With Barrera, Jenna Ortega, and Neve Campbell still out of the upcoming slasher film, Spyglass, the production company for the franchise, is going to have to give some serious consideration to where it wants the series to go next.