Melissa Barrera has damaged her silence after she was let go from Scream VII over feedback she made on-line in regard to the continuing Israel-Hamas battle.
In an announcement posted to her Instagram Story on Wednesday night, Barrera, 33, stated she vehemently denounces antisemitism and hate in all types however that she’s going to proceed to make use of her platform to name out injustice as she sees it on this planet.
“First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” the Within the Heights actress wrote.
Earlier within the week, Barrera — who starred as Samantha Carpenter in 2022’s Scream and 2023 Scream 6 — was quietly dropped from the upcoming sequel for the movie by Spyglass, the manufacturing firm behind the franchise.
She continued in her message, writing: “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. I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” Barrera continued.
“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,” the actress wrote. “Silence is not an option for me.”
Barrera has spent the previous month and a half advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out the Israeli authorities for what she and others have labeled a “genocide” of Palestinian folks.
In October, Barrera posted on her Story an indication that learn “I too come from a colonized country: alongside the Mexican flag logo. “Palestine WILL be free” it continued with an italicized quote: “They tried to bury us, they did not know we had been seeds.”
The actress has also been accused of regurgitating antisemitic tropes about those of the Jewish faith running Hollywood.
“Western media solely exhibits the [Israeli] facet. Why do they try this, I’ll allow you to deduce for your self,” she wrote in one post on the social media platform.
In a statement to ET, a Spyglass spokesperson said: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We’ve zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any kind, together with false references to genocide, ethnic cleaning, Holocaust distortion or something that flagrantly crosses the road into hate speech.”
One story posted by Barrera stated: “Gaza is presently being handled like a focus camp. Cornering everybody collectively, with nowhere to go, no electrical energy no water … Folks have learnt nothing from our histories. And similar to our histories, persons are nonetheless silently watching all of it occur. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
A comprehensive look at many of Barrera’s posts about the ongoing conflict was documented in screenshots posted to X, featured below.
In a since-deleted tweet on X Tuesday night, Scream VII director Christopher Landon seemingly expressed his frustration with Spyglass’ decision in connection to the release of the film’s star.
“That is my assertion: 
Every thing sucks. Cease yelling. This was not my resolution to make,” Landon wrote.
Just hours after it was reported that Barrera had been let go from Scream VII, her co-star and on-screen sister, Jenna Ortega, announced she would not return to the franchise for the upcoming film.
Per Deadline, a source shared that because Scream VII doesn’t have a script yet, scheduling for filming would clash with Ortega’s projects going back into production now that the SAG strike is over.
The Primetime Emmy nominee is already back on set to finish filming Beetlejuice 2, and meet the film’s Labor Day theatrical release. In April, she’ll travel to Ireland to begin shooting season 2 of Netflix’s Wednesday series, which is expected to go on into the summer.
During Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 citizens were taken hostage. In response, the Israeli government retaliated by launching coordinated attacks and bombings in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 11,000 people. It’s unclear what percentage of that number is civilians as opposed to fighters, however, most are believed to be women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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