Melissa Barrera is no longer going to star in ‘Scream 7’ due to her statements on the ongoing Israel-Hamas War shared through her Instagram stories. She had led the horror franchise’s last two movies including Scream (2022) and Scream 6, and she was going to play the lead in the next installment when she was dropped. Producers of the film, Spyglass Media Group, have stated that Barrera’s comments were antisemitic while many believe they were pro-Palestine. Read ahead to find out what she said.
Spyglass Media Group drops Melissa Barrera for alleged anti-semitic statements
The production company behind the popular horror franchise has finally released their official statement regarding Melissa Barrera’s expulsion from their upcoming movie. They have refuted the narrative that the actress was dropped for her pro-Palestine statements and shared the reason from their side.
Spyglass, the production company behind ‘SCREAM,’ released this statement following firing Melissa Barrera for her support to Palestine:
“We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing,… pic.twitter.com/K5wipDXdab
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 22, 2023
“We have zero tolerance for anti-semitism and/or the provocation of hate in any form,” Spyglass Media Group stated to Variety. They further mentioned various types of sentiments that they do not tolerate including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, and anything that crosses the line to hate speech.
After the statement went viral on social media many netizens began to question what Melissa Barrera said that fell into the above-listed categories. Responding to them the film’s director Christopher Landon posted a statement with broken-heart emoji, “Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This wasn’t my decision to make.”
What did Melissa Barrera post?
After the expulsion of the actress went viral the first thing that netizens began to search for was her statements. The Israel-Hamas war has been raging since October 7 but the roots of the conflict are far deeper than that. Due to the sensitivity of the issue many celebrities have faced the consequences of giving a statement, regardless of what they wished to share.
As Barerra’s statement is being judged in two vastly different manners we must take a closer look at what exactly she said. Read all of her recent statements about the Israel-Hamas War below.
- “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,”
- “Cornering everyone together with nowhere to go. No electricity, and No water. People have learned nothing from our histories. And just like the histories, people are silently watching it happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
- “I too come from a colonialized country. Palestine WILL be free.”
- “They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds”
- “I have actively been looking for videos and information about Palestine’s 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.”
- “Usually the algorithm on social media gets the gist. Well, my Discover page on IG will only SHOW me videos taking and sharing about the Israeli side. Censorship is very real. Palestine knows this, they know the world has been trying to make them invisible for decades. Keep sharing.”
Netizens reaction
Internet users and fans have come forward to support the Mexican actress and criticize her statement about Spyglass Media Group. They have called out the company for spinning her statements into a narrative that was suitable for them and making a baseless decision. Read some of their reactions below.
i’m genuinely heartbroken and disgusted by the absolute audacity of spyglass to not only deny the genocide happening right before our eyes, but LYING on melissa’s name and falsely accusing her of being antisemitic. they can fuck all the way off with scream 7.
— gojo’s goth gf (@theehellpriest) November 22, 2023
not only is spyglass slandering melissa barrera by falsely accusing her of being antisemitic, they’re also actively denying the fact that a genocide & ethnic cleansing is taking place in palestine as we speak. what’s happened today is unspeakably sickening, & it’s only the start. https://t.co/OnmpwQZbO5
— zoë rose bryant (@zoerosebryant) November 22, 2023
melissa barrera being blacklisted from hollywood for speaking up and staying on the right side of the story is genuinely so infuriating while people who literally support genocide and been saying the most absurd things remain with their careers intact this truly has ruined my day
— emily blunt's manager (@twiceblunt) November 22, 2023
Melissa Barrera was the heart and soul of SCREAM VI and her absence will be felt deeply. I cannot imagine that film without her and SCREAM 7 will suffer terribly because of this awful decision.
I was a fan of her work but I am now also a huge admirer of her courage and bravery. pic.twitter.com/wueEPpAoWd
— ahmad (@thisisnotahmad) November 21, 2023
Following this controversy, many of the horror franchise’s fans have begun wondering what will happen ‘In Scream 7’ and who will replace Melissa Barrera. It will be a particularly difficult position to take due to the controversies surrounding it. Read our latest to find out the possible actresses and Barrera’s journey.
