Melissa Barrera is speaking out after being fired from Scream 7 over her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war.
via: People
News broke Tuesday that Barrera, 33, will no longer star in the next Scream movie.
In a statement, Spyglass, the studio behind the horror films, said its “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.”
On Wednesday, Barrera shared a statement on her Instagram Story, writing, “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
“As a Latina, a proud Mexicana,” she continued, “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.”
Barrera continued, “Every person on the 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,” the In the Heights actress wrote, adding, “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.”
She concluded, “Silence is not an option for me.”
Variety broke the news Tuesday when it reported that insiders at Spyglass saw Barrera’s social media comments as antisemitic.
In one written message from Barrera’s Instagram quoted in Variety’s report and circulating on social media after the news, she allegedly wrote, “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.”
Barrera starred in Scream’s two most recent entries, 2022’s Scream and this year’s Scream VI, as Sam Carpenter.
