Featured Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Horror, Jenna Ortega, Social Media
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Horror, Jenna Ortega, Social Media
Jenna Ortega has clarified what her leaving Scream VII has 'nothing to do with'.
After starring in the 2022 reboot of Scream, as well as 2023's Scream VI, Melissa Barrera was fired from appearing in the seventh film of the iconic horror franchise.
Barrera was fired from the film after posting regularly about the ongoing conflict in Palestine - the actor questioning why her feed was filled with the Israeli perspective on violence in Gaza, alongside accusing Israel of 'genocide and ethnic cleansing'.
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Shortly after Barrera's departure from the movie, it was revealed Jenna Ortega would be leaving the line-up too. Reports emerged suggesting a multitude of various reasons for why the Wednesday star wouldn't be appearing to be chased a knife-wielding Ghostface for a third time as Tara Carpenter.
However, the 22-year-old star has since set the record straight.
Ortega revealed to The Cut her decision to walk away from the movie 'had nothing to do with pay or scheduling'.
She explained directors of the sixth movie, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, had already left the film by the time she decided to go too.
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She reflected: "The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart.
"If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time."
Indeed, the 'Melissa stuff' saw Barrera open up to The Hollywood Reporter last year, the actor stressing: "None of this makes me happy."
Similarly to Ortega, the actor reflected how much she 'deeply care[s] about the franchise,' adding it was 'just all sad' to have 'happen[ed] like' it did as a result.
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The producers behind the movie - Spyglass Media Group - also spoke out at the time.
A spokesperson told Variety it has '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 later responded on Instagram, stating: "First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.
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"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.
"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.
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"Silence is not an option for me."