Melissa Barrera 'fired' from Scream 7 over Israel-Palestine comments on Instagram as Twitter users defend her

Actress Melissa Barrera has reportedly been fired from Scream VII due to comments she posted on her Instagram page about the Israel-Hamas war.

The Sam Carpenter actress, aged 33, joined the slasher movie franchise in 2022, leading its fifth and sixth films alongside Jenna Ortega. However, on Tuesday (November 21), sources confirmed to Deadline and Variety that Barrera has been dropped from Spyglass Media’s forthcoming sequel over the now deleted posts, which have been perceived as anti-Semitic.

In one social media post, she 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.”

Variety’s source suggests that Barrera was fired over one post in particular that “floated an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media”. She also wrote in an Instagram Story: “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”

A Spyglass spokesperson released a statement and 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.” Representatives for Barrera have not spoken out about the situation at the time of writing on the morning on Wednesday November 22.

In another post, Barrera said: “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,” the actor added. “I stand with all those caught in the crossfire. I pray for freedom and peace for you and your families.”

There have been no official cast announcements for the film yet, but it was expected that Barrera would reprise her role as Sam Carpenter, the older sister of Tara Carpenter (played by Ortega) in Scream 7.

Fans of Barrera have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to defend her. One woman said: "Melissa’s IG posts look like my posts. And many others. And reflect the feelings in our hearts and in our souls that carried millions of us into marches to call for ceasefire, end genocide, and to free Palestine. It’s absolutely shameful that she is being called anti-Semitic."

Another said: "Sam carpenter means so much to me especially as a latina! thank you melissa barrera for bringing this character to life and standing up for what is right!! we will always stand with you!! #JusticeForMelissaBarerra." The hashtag #JusticeForMelissaBarerra is also trending on social media, and fans are sharing images with an image of Barerra in her role as Carpenter with the words 'I stand with Melissa Barrera'.