Melissa Barrera spoke out after she was reportedly fired from the production of “Scream VII.”
The actress has been one of the recent stars of the franchise and was expected to star in the next installment. But that is no longer the case after posts she made on social media about the war between Israel and Hamas, which the studio behind the film characterized as anti-Semitic.
A spokesperson for Spyglass, the company behind the “Scream” franchise, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about Barrerra’s departure.
“Spyglass’ position is unequivocally clear: we have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism or hate speech in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that blatantly crosses the line into hate speech,” the statement read.
“First and foremost, I condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hatred and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote. “As a Latina, a proud Mexican, I feel a responsibility to have a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and so I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues that matter to me and lend my voice to those in need.” – She added.
She went on to write, “Every person on this earth…deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom. I believe that a group of people is NOT their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism.”
“I pray day and night for no more deaths, no more violence and peaceful coexistence,” he concluded his statement. “I will continue to speak out for those who need it most and I will continue to advocate for peace and security, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me.”
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Barrera played Sam Carpenter in both 2022’s “Scream” and this year’s “Scream VI.”