Scream star Melissa Barrera speaks out after being fired from horror franchise

’Silence is not an option for me,’ Mexican actor says after being dropped from film series

Melissa Barrera has shared her first statement after being fired from the new Scream film.

The Mexican actor was dropped from the next instalment of the horror franchise due to comments she made about Israel-Palestine on social media.

On Tuesday (21 November), a spokesperson confirmed to Variety that Barrera, 33, had been fired by Spyglass Media Group after her social media posts were interpreted as antisemitic.

The production company said 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,” a Spyglass spokesperson told the publication.

One day after news broke of her firing, Barerra shared a statement on her Instagram Stories.

“First and foremost, I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote.

“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.

“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.”

Clarifying her stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Barerra said: “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.”

Shr concluded her statement by saying: “Silence is not an option for me.”

Melissa Barrera speaks out after being fired from new ‘Scream’ film (Instagram)

Barerra joined the Scream franchise with its fifth film in 2022, playing lead character Sam Carpenter, alongside Jenna Ortega, who played her sister. The pair returned for a sixth film in 2023.

It’s now been reported that Ortega will also no longer be in Scream 7 – but apparently for reasons unrelated to Barrera’s firing.

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in ‘Scream’ (Spyglass Media)

According to Deadline, Ortega dropped out of the sequel due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of her hit Netflix series Wednesday.

Also this week, Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency UTA for comments she made at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City on 17 November.