'Scream' series star fired over controversial Israel post

In recent times, numerous celebrities have vocalized their thoughts on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Such statements, however, can have serious repercussions, a fact learned the hard way by Melissa Barrera, an actress known from the rebooted horror series, 'Scream'. Due to several posts made about the conflict, Barrera will not be returning for the next installment.

The 'Scream' franchise, a blockbuster saga, originated with Wes Craven's film in 1996. This slasher film, peppered with genre pastiche and crime elements, set forth a list of survival rules for its characters. Made for a mere $14 million, the film raked in over $170 million in profits, marking the inception of the now six-part series. Craven helmed the director's seat for the first four sequels between 1997 and 2011, while Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directed the latest two.

Melissa Barrera played the character of Sam Carpenter in the revamped version of the popular franchise released in the past two years. However, likely, she will not be returning to reprise her role in the upcoming installment. This is due to her posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict, which were not well-received by the production company.

As reported by 'Entertainment Weekly,' the Mexican actress shared a series of posts on the conflict between Israel and Hamas on her social media, wherein she voiced her support for Palestine and expressed her opposition to Israel's actions. Last month, she called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and recently accused Israel of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in response to an attack carried out by a terrorist organization on October 7, 2023.

In response, the Spyglass Media Group, which produced the recent 'Scream' installments, issued a statement. It reads, "Spyglass's stance is unequivocal: We do not tolerate anti-Semitism or the incitement to hate in any form - including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, distortion of the truth about the Holocaust, or any act that crosses the line into hate speech." This was in response to Barrera's posts, as 'Entertainment Weekly' quoted.

The decision, imposed by the producers, was made without the participation of the creators. On a now-deleted post on the X service, Christopher Landon, the director of 'Scream VII', briefly commented, "This is my statement: everything is screwed up. Stop screaming. This wasn't my decision."

Barrera's firing is significant for the series. As Tara's sister (played by Jenna Ortega), Sam Carpenter held an integral role in the series and was initially set to return for the seventh installment. Consequently, Spyglass's action will require significant script alterations.

Barrera is not the only actress to face professional repercussions due to posting politically charged content on social media. News recently broke that Susan Sarandon's working relationship with her representative agency has ended after she allegedly made unwelcome comments about Israel that did not sit well with her superiors.