Melissa Barrera was fired from "Scream VII" due to comments she made on social media about the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to reports.
The 33-year-old actor, who previously starred in the franchise's fifth and sixth films alongside Jenna Ortega, was dropped from Spyglass Media's forthcoming sequel over the posts on Instagram that some have perceived as antisemitic, sources confirmed to Deadline and Variety.
In one social media post, Barrera wrote: "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp.
"Cornering everyone together, with nowhere 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," she added, according to the Independent.
Commenting on the ordeal, a source suggested to Variety that Barrera was fired over one post in particular that "floated an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media."
As the Independent noted, Barrera wrote in one Instagram story, "Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself."
She also wrote in another post: "As we all wake up to what is (and has been) happening in Gaza and see it for what it is, it is very important to also understand: Just like all Palestinians are NOT Hamas, All Jewish people are NOT the Israeli Govt.
"Do not blame, or hate on, a whole group of people because of what some are doing," she added, according to the Independent. "I stand with all those caught in the crossfire. I pray for freedom and peace for you and your families."
A Spyglass spokesperson released a statement to Variety addressing the matter.
"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," the spokesperson said.
"Scream VII" director Christopher Landon weighed in on Barrera's reported firing with a simple statement on social media.
"This is my statement: Everything sucks," he wrote, according to a screenshot by Deadline. "Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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