Posted in: Movies | Tagged: melissa berrera, scream, scream vii, spyglass
Scream VII: "Silence Is Not an Option For Me": Melissa Barrera
Melissa Barrera took to Instagram Stories this evening to respond to her being fired from Scream VII: "Silence is not an option for me."
Article Summary
- Melissa Barrera responds to Scream VII firing over her social media posts.
- Co-star Jenna Ortega also exits the film, reportedly over Wednesday scheduling conflicts.
- Barrera condemns Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and hatred of any kind.
- Asserts commitment to advocating for human rights, peace, and free speech.
It's been 24 hours since Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) was cut from the upcoming Scream VII by Spyglass Media after the studio claimed that social media posts from Barrera regarding the current Israel/Palestine/Hamas conflict crossed their "zero tolerance" policy against "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."
Since that time, Scream VII director Christopher Landon took to social media to make it clear that he wasn't involved in the decision, and Barrera's co-star, Jenna Ortega, officially left the project (allegedly due to scheduling conflicts with Netflix's Wednesday Season 2 and not Barrera's termination." Now, Barrera is speaking out for the first time, sharing a response message on Instagram stories. "First and foremost, I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people," Barrera wrote in the opening to her message. Here's a look:
First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.
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. 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.
Silence is not an option for me.