- Melissa Barrera was recently dropped from 'Scream VII'
- The reason was some comments she made online
- THIS is her reaction to the backlash
She won't be in the movie....period! The reason? A social media scandal that's got Tinseltown buzzing and fans divided. Barrera, known for her fierce on-screen presence, found herself in the eye of a storm after her posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict were slammed as anti-Semitic by Spyglass Media.
Melissa felt she did nothing wrong
The actress, who's never shied away from voicing her opinions, described Israel's actions as "genocide" and called out the Western media for biased reporting. But on Tuesday, the plot thickened as Spyglass Media delivered the final cut, confirming to Variety that Barrera's posts crossed a line they couldn't ignore. "Zero tolerance for antisemitism," they declared, leaving no room for doubt about their stance.
On Wednesday, Barrera shared a statement on her Instagram Story, writing, "First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people."
"As a Latina, a proud Mexicana," she continued, "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."
In a cryptic and now-vanished post, 'Scream VII' director Christopher Landon hinted at his frustration, saying, "This was not my decision to make."
Barrera continued, "Every person on the 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."
"I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence," the In the Heights actress wrote, adding, "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."
Melissa is not ready to give in
She concluded, "Silence is not an option for me."
In one written message from Barrera's Instagram quoted in 'Variety' magazine's report and circulating on social media after the news, she allegedly wrote, "I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself."
Barrera's bold stance has sparked a Hollywood domino effect, with Susan Sarandon and Maha Dakhil feeling the heat for their pro-Palestine expressions. As the debate rages on, one thing's for sure: silence is not an option in the City of Stars.
Also interesting:
Another celebrity casualty
Divisive words
They don't condone his actions!
Morgan Wallen Gets Dropped By Label And Radio After Racial Slur
But that's not all surrounding the new film. Adding to the drama, Jenna Ortega, Barrera's on-screen sister, also made headlines by bowing out of 'Scream VII' after citing a clash with her Netflix show 'Wednesday'.
Ortega’s departure was apparently not influenced by Barrera’s firing and was in the works months ago before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. Production dates for 'Wednesday' Season 2 have yet to be confirmed. Ortega also needs to wrap filming on Tim Burton’s 'Beetlejuice 2, which has a few more days to shoot after it was interrupted by the SAG-AFTRA strike.
It's unclear which direction the next film will go from here, as Barrera and Ortega had seemed poised to be new faces of the franchise. Stay tuned as we slice through the gossip and bring you the latest on this star-studded saga!
