Melissa Barrera Dropped From Scream 7 Over Social Media Posts About Hamas-Israel Conflict

Melissa Barrera is reportedly out of her starring role in Scream 7 after making social media posts about the Hamas-Israel conflict. Deadline reports that Barrera has been dropped from the film as a result of reposts she made to her Instagram stories that have been perceived by those close to the film as antisemetic.

Barrera has been supportive of Palestine while calling for a ceasefire and expressing support for the people of both countries, noting in one post, “Just like all Palestinians are NOT Hamas, all Jewish people are NOT Isaeal. Do not blame, or hate on, a whole group of people because of what some are doing.”

In another post, she wrote:

“Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. 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.”

A statement from Spyglass Media, who produces the franchise, said, “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.”

Barerra was the new primary lead in the franchise, playing Sam Carpenter alongside Jenna Ortega who played Sam’s sister Tara. The franchise has undergone a revival with the new cast; 2022’s Scream grossed $138.9 million worldwide, while Scream VI brought in more with $169 million worldwide.

Christopher Landon is set to direct the new film, which THR reports has had slow development amid the strikes. Spyglass is expected to alt5er their plans after Barrera’s exit.