Actress Melissa Barrera has been fired from Scream 7 over comments she made about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Melissa Barrera has very much been leading the Scream franchise revival since it the 5th instalment hit cinema screens in 2022 and gave the series its biggest opening weekend at the box office with her return in Scream VI.
Spyglass Media Group, the film production company behind the films, has issued a statement regarding the termination of Barrera.
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A spokesperson for the company attempted to clarify that Barrera was not fired for showing support for the Palestinian cause, but rather for posts that were deemed antisemitic.
“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,” the spokesperson told Variety.
The Hamas October 7 attack in Israel has sparked global conversation regarding the long-standing tensions in the region.
Barrera is one of the many celebrities who have weighed in on the conflict on social media.
Her Instagram stories were posted in October but have continued to be shared on other social media platforms like Reddit.
One Instagram post resulted in her receiving multiple bouts of praise on the platform as she posted a Palestinian flag and her native country Mexico with the caption: "I too come from a colonized country" / "Palestine WILL be free" while quoting a famous line from Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos: "They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds."
In another post, Barrera complained that she was unable to find clear information from the Palestinian perspective.
"I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc,” she wrote.
“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 showing and talking about the Israeli side. Censorship is very real. Palestinians know this, they know the world has been trying to make them invisible for decades. Keep sharing."
The Scream 7 director Christopher Landon has since issued a statement about Barrera’s termination.
“Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make,” Landon wrote in a now deleted X post.
UNILAD has contacted Paramount Pictures and Melissa Barrera’s representatives for comment.
Topics: Instagram, Celebrity, Film and TV
Gerrard Kaonga