Yesterday, Melissa Barrera responded to her departure from Scream 7 and defended the stance that saw Spyglass Media Group fire the actor for what it believes was antisemitic behavior on her social media accounts.
‘Silence is not an option for me’
Mexican actress Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in Scream 5 and 6, was due to reprise the role for Scream 7, but posts she shared on Instagram and her own words on the conflict between Israel and Palestine (where she supported Palestine and pushed for peace) led to her being let go from the slasher sequel.
“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.”
Barrera also alluded to her stance and the implications of it in another post before the announcement was made public, with a sign that read “At the end of the day, I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude.”
Scream co-star and onscreen sister Jenna Ortega had been similarly supportive of Palestine n recent weeks, so many wondered if she would also be dropped for the film, but Ortega revealed yesterday that she is not involved with Scream 7 due to filming of the Netflix show Wednesday and additional filming on Beetlejuice 2 after it was interrupted by strike action during the Summer.
Scream 7’s director Christopher Landon responded to Barrera’s firing on social media by saying “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”
The movie looks set to have significant restructuring with the omission of the Carpenter sisters from the story, with reports more veteran franchise cast members could be brought back including previous Scream lead Neve Campbell.
