The actress is reflecting on her controversial firing from the 'Scream' franchise with good grace.
Melissa Barrera is reflecting on her controversial firing from the Scream franchise with good grace. While attending the Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of her latest horror movie, Your Monster, the actress opened up to the Associated Press about her abrupt exit.
"Honestly, I think I finally am becoming who I'm supposed to be in life, and the last few months have been a big awakening of that. I'm just so grateful for everything that's happened," Barrera shares.
The actress -- who was meant to star in Scream 7 after appearing as Samantha Carpenter in 2022's Scream and 2023's Scream VI -- was fired last November after advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling out the Israeli government for what she and others have labeled a "genocide" of Palestinian people.
Spyglass, the production company behind the horror movies Barrera stars in, quietly dropped her from the film, purportedly in connection to her posts in which she referred to Gaza as a "colonized country."
In a statement to ET, a Spyglass spokesperson said: "Spyglass' stance in 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."
In a since-deleted tweet on X Tuesday night, Scream 7 director Christopher Landon seemingly expressed his frustration with Spyglass' decision in connection to the release of the film's star. "This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make," Landon wrote.
In the wake of her firing, Barrera, 33, posted a statement to her Instagram Story, saying she vehemently denounces antisemitism and hate in all forms but that she will continue to use her platform to call out injustice as she sees it in the world.
"First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people," the In the Heights actress wrote.
She continued in her message, writing: "As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, 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."
"Every person on this 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," Barrera continued.
"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," the actress wrote. "Silence is not an option for me."
Shortly after Barrera's exit was revealed, her co-star and onscreen little sister, Jenna Ortega, also departed the project, followed by Landon.
Ortega's departure, announced the day after Barrera's, was reportedly due to Wednesday scheduling conflicts. When Landon announced his departure, he described the project as "a dream job that turned into a nightmare."
Since her firing, Barrera has continued to advocate for a permanent ceasefire, as well as promote her new projects.
She and Ortega recently enjoyed a reunion with their Scream castmates at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's The Evening Before gala. Barrera shared photos on Instagram featuring Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Skeet Ulrich and Jack Quaid.
"We're family for life," Barrera told Deadline of the reunion. "If we're ever in the vicinity of each other, we always find each other and that's what happened at that event."
She added that she's "just so grateful of what I got to infuse in the franchise, and that's also something that I will be proud of forever."
Aside from Your Monster, Barrera will also appear in Radio Silence's upcoming horror film, Abigail, set to release on April 19.
As for the Scream franchise, original star Neve Campbell, who opted out of the previous sequel, hinted at uncertainties surrounding the franchise's future, emphasizing her past treatment and expressing openness to a call while highlighting her expectations.
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