Mexican actor Melissa Barrera, known for playing Sara Carpenter in the popular Scream franchise, has been reportedly dropped from Scream VII due to her Instagram posts on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The 33-year-old actor joined the slasher series in 2022 alongside Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega. According to Varierty, sources confirmed that Spyglass Media terminated Barrera from the forthcoming sequel over her Instagram posts, perceiving them as anti-Semitic.
Amidst the news, Melissa posted a story on Instagram condemning violence and hate speech of any kind. She wrote, “First and foremost I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” Barrera wrote. “As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, 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. 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. 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,” Barrera’s statement continues. “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," she added.
A Spyglass spokesperson told Variety, "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."
According to People magazine, a viral message posted on an Instagram story allegedly written by Barrera read, "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."
In addition to Ortega and Barrera, Scream VI also stars Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Courteney Cox, and Hayden Panettiere. The seventh installment of the franchise is set to be directed by Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon.
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