The actress was given the boot after she made public comments about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
A representative from Spyglass Media Group issued a statement to Variety regarding actress Melissa Barrera’s termination.
“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,” said a statement released on Tuesday.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, The 33-year-old In The Heights actress was dropped from the upcoming film after sharing pro-Palestine posts on her social media. Soon after, the Barrera was booted from the franchise following her remarks:
“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” Barrera wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Cornering everyone together, with no where 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.”
The Scream franchise was a box office success when it made its first debut in 1996. The masked murderer called Ghostface” has terrorized young adults in additional films that came out in 1997, 2000, and 2011.
Almost ten years following Scream 4, Spyglass Media Group acquired the rights to produce the upcoming movie. Barrera and Jenna Ortega were selected to star in the fifth installment and its subsequent sequels, featuring two sisters pursued by a new Ghostface due to their ties to one of the original killers.
Not too long ago, Barrera expressed her gratitude for directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett for their dedication in applying their own twist to the franchise.
“We have the same team reprising [their roles behind the scenes]. In the fifth movie, there was a lot of pressure [with it being] the first without [late director] Wes [Craven] and they were still trying to honor him,” the Bed Rest actress told Us Weekly in July 2022 before filming the sixth movie. “[They were trying to make] something that still felt familiar but had their own touch. … Now they’re putting a little more of their sauce into it and it just feels scarier.”
Barrera isn’t the only celebrity facing backlash for commenting on the Israel-Palistine War.
More Controversial Comments From Celebrities About The War
In October, comedian Dave Chappelle not only stirred controversy among the audience at one of his shows but also led to their storming out the venue.
Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello called out actress Jamie Less Curtis after she posted a picture of Gaza on her social media account. The image was the aftermath of recent terrorist attacks in Israel. In the picture, children were depicted looking up at the sky as missiles flew by. However, viewers pointed out that the image actually showed Palestinian children observing the rockets from Gaza, not Israeli children as Curtis suggested in the caption for the post. The actress then removed the photo from her Instagram but the damage had been done.
Overall, the topic is very touchy. It seems like more and more public figures are stirring outrage just for simply stating their opinions. While anyone would want to speak up for what they think is right, nowadays they also have to consider if their words will only escalate the situation.
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