Melissa Barrera Breaks Silence After 'Scream VII' Firing: 'I Will Continue To Speak Out'

Melissa Barrera has spoken out following news that she was fired from "Scream VII" for publicly posting about the Israel-Hamas war.

Barrera was reportedly dropped the movie project over her social media post where she slammed Israel for treating Gaza "like a concentration camp." However, the actress  33-year-old seems to be doubling down on her decision to support Palestine.

Following reports of her outsing from the upcoming sequel of the slasher franchise, Barrera took to her Instagram Story to release a statement. "First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people," she began.

The "Club de Cuervos" actress continued, "As a Latina, a proud Maxicana, 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."

The message continued with the Mexico native affirming her message that every person "regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status" is deserving of freedom, dignity, and equal human rights.

"I believe a group of people are not their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism," she wrote. Barrera added that she prayed constantly for the violence to end and for peaceful co-existence between both parties.

Barrera concluded her statement, "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."

Variety shared the news that Barrera was dropped from "Scream VII" by Spyglass Media, the production company behind the franchise. The media company released a statement about their decision:

"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."

Barrera was slated to star in the next "Scream" outing after featuring the fifth and sixth sequels over the past two years. Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the "Vida" actress has been vocal about her support for Palestine.

In one post, she wrote, "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING."

In another post, she wrote, "It is so f--king sad and frustrating to see so many people and most of the Western media trying SO HARD to equate Palestinian liberation with supporting Hamas when they are NOT the same thing."

Amid the scandal "Scream VII" director Christopher Landon weighed in on the firing by the studio: "This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make."

Barrera played a pivotal role in revitalizing the iconic "Scream" franchise, leaving an indelible mark with her performances in "Scream" (2022) and "Scream VI," as the lead character Sam Carpenter. Her character resonated with audiences, establishing her as a significant force within the horror genre and playing a crucial role as the older sister to Jenna Ortega’s Tera.

"Scream" (2022) and "Scream VI" earned $137.7 million worldwide and $169 million respectively in the Box Office.

As fans are gearing up to miss Barrera on their screens, they will also not get to Jenna Ortega in the upcoming sequel. Shortly after Barrera's firing, it was reported that she might not return for the seventh installment of the iconic franchise.

Per reports, Ortega's exit had nothing to do with her on-screen sister's departure as it was already a topic before the actor's strike because Ortega is scheduled to film season two of "Wednesday."

According to Deadline, Ortega and Scream executives had already discussed her exit from the hit horror franchise before the recently conclusive actors and screen writers guild strikes.

"Scream VII" is still under production, and Ortega is scheduled to be in Ireland by April 2024. The actress will be filming the second season of Netflix’s hit series "Wednesday," of which she plays the titular character, causing a conflict in the shooting schedule.