The Scream franchise’s latest lead actor has been removed from its upcoming sequel due to contentious social media posts related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Melissa Barrera, who starred in recent Scream films alongside Jenna Ortega, will no longer feature in Scream 7, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Barrera’s removal stems from her social media comments during the Israel-Hamas conflict, where she likened Gaza’s situation to a concentration camp and condemned what she termed as genocide and ethnic cleansing. Spyglass, the production company behind the Scream franchise, has refrained from commenting on the issue.
In the recent Scream films, Barrera portrayed Sam Carpenter, a character tied to the original storyline as the secret daughter of co-Ghostface Billy Loomis. It remains unclear if the character will be written out or recast.
Filming for Scream 7 has yet to commence, with progress impeded by ongoing actors and writers strikes. Spyglass is expected to pause and reassess their plans for Scream 7 following Barrera’s removal, with updates on this development anticipated in the near future.
