Melissa Barrera was fired from Scream 7 because of comments about the conflict between Israel and Hamas
31 october 2025 в 16:13
The movie «Scream 7» will finally be released in theaters in February 2026, more than two years after Melissa Barrera was fired from the project. When news of her departure became known, horror fans were shocked and promised to boycott the upcoming film. But with the original protagonist Neve Campbell and other familiar faces like Matthew Lillard returning to the franchise, others are still excited to see Ghostface causing chaos once again. So why was Melissa suddenly fired from «Scream 7»?
Below, Hollywood Life has gathered the entire story behind Melissa, her shocking dismissal, her response, and what is happening with the «Scream» franchise after her departure.
Melissa appeared in two films from the franchise: «Scream» in 2022 and «Scream VI» in 2023, playing Samantha «Sam» Carpenter.
Spyglass Media fired Melissa due to her public comments on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. One of her Instagram Stories at the time contained a message stating: «Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. People are being herded together, nowhere to go, no electricity, no water… People have learned nothing from our history. And just like in our history, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING».
After news of Melissa’s dismissal in November 2023 became known, Spyglass released the following statement through a representative in Variety: «Spyglass' position is clear and unequivocal: we have zero tolerance for antisemitism or incitement to hatred in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, or anything that clearly crosses the line into hate».
No, the original director of «Scream 7» Christopher Landon did not fire Melissa, he clarified in a public statement. In response to the backlash he received from fans, the director tweeted: «This is my statement: Everything is bad. Stop screaming. This was not my decision».
Melissa addressed her dismissal from «Scream 7» in a statement published through her Instagram Stories in November 2023. She began the message by writing: «First and foremost, I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hatred and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a Latina, proud Mexican, I feel responsible for having a platform that allows me to be heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to draw attention to issues that are important to me, and to lend my voice to those who need it».
«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», - Melissa continued. «I believe that no group of people is above criticism, and that no governing body should be beyond reproach. I pray day and night for no more deaths, no more violence, and for peaceful coexistence. I will continue to speak on behalf of those who need it most, and I will continue to advocate for peace and security, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me».
Initial reports indicated that Jenna Ortega left «Scream 7» due to scheduling conflicts with other projects like «Wednesday». However, she revealed the truth during an interview with The Cut in April 2025.
«It had nothing to do with pay or schedule», - Jenna explained. «Things were happening with Melissa, and it all started falling apart».
Not only did director Christopher leave the film, but directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also left after Jenna departed.
«If 'Scream VII' is not with this team of directors and the people I fell in love with, it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at that time», - Jenna added
Below, Hollywood Life has gathered the entire story behind Melissa, her shocking dismissal, her response, and what is happening with the «Scream» franchise after her departure.
Melissa appeared in two films from the franchise: «Scream» in 2022 and «Scream VI» in 2023, playing Samantha «Sam» Carpenter.
Spyglass Media fired Melissa due to her public comments on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. One of her Instagram Stories at the time contained a message stating: «Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. People are being herded together, nowhere to go, no electricity, no water… People have learned nothing from our history. And just like in our history, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING».
After news of Melissa’s dismissal in November 2023 became known, Spyglass released the following statement through a representative in Variety: «Spyglass' position is clear and unequivocal: we have zero tolerance for antisemitism or incitement to hatred in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, or anything that clearly crosses the line into hate».
No, the original director of «Scream 7» Christopher Landon did not fire Melissa, he clarified in a public statement. In response to the backlash he received from fans, the director tweeted: «This is my statement: Everything is bad. Stop screaming. This was not my decision».
Melissa addressed her dismissal from «Scream 7» in a statement published through her Instagram Stories in November 2023. She began the message by writing: «First and foremost, I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hatred and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a Latina, proud Mexican, I feel responsible for having a platform that allows me to be heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to draw attention to issues that are important to me, and to lend my voice to those who need it».
«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», - Melissa continued. «I believe that no group of people is above criticism, and that no governing body should be beyond reproach. I pray day and night for no more deaths, no more violence, and for peaceful coexistence. I will continue to speak on behalf of those who need it most, and I will continue to advocate for peace and security, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me».
Initial reports indicated that Jenna Ortega left «Scream 7» due to scheduling conflicts with other projects like «Wednesday». However, she revealed the truth during an interview with The Cut in April 2025.
«It had nothing to do with pay or schedule», - Jenna explained. «Things were happening with Melissa, and it all started falling apart».
Not only did director Christopher leave the film, but directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin also left after Jenna departed.
«If 'Scream VII' is not with this team of directors and the people I fell in love with, it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at that time», - Jenna added
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
