Jenna Ortega 'not returning' for Scream 7 while Melissa Barrera gets fired over social media posts
Jenna Ortega reportedly won't be back for Scream 7, it has been claimed.
Ortega starred as Tara Carpenter in the sixth instalment of the horror franchise, which hit cinemas back in March 2023.
Away from Scream, Ortega is best known for starring in hit Netflix shows, You and Wednesday.
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According to a report from Deadline, her decision to step away from the movie came before the SAG-AFTRA strike which halted Hollywood in recent months.
Following Wednesday's huge success after its debut in November 2022, the 21-year-old is said to be focusing her attention on the second series, Deadline reports.
Filming for Scream 7 allegedly clashes with her shooting schedule for the The Addams Family spin-off - which isn't expected to land on Netflix until late next year.
UNILAD has contacted Ortega's reps for comment.
It was announced at the beginning of the year that Wednesday has been renewed for a second series.
“We can’t wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky, spooky world of Nevermore,” Wednesday Season 1 co-showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough said at the time.
"We just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”
The news of Ortega's apparent exit comes after Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming movie for social media posts that were seen as anti-Semitic in the wake of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In one post, the actor shared a photo of a Palestinian flag 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."
Confirming the decision to axe Barrera, Spyglass - the production company behind Scream 7 - said in a statement to 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."
Barrera hasn't officially commented on being let go from the Scream franchise, but appeared to reference to it in a now-deleted Instagram post.
In the post, she shared an image of a message on a wall that read: “At the end of the day, I'd rather be excluded for who I include, than be included for who I exclude.”
UNILAD has previously contacted Paramount Pictures and Melissa Barrera's representatives for comment.
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, News
Niamh Shackleton