USA TODAY can confirm that Melissa Barrera, the star of the revived “Scream” franchise, has been removed from the upcoming movie “Scream 7” because of her posts on social media regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The actor supported Palestinians with several posts on Instagram on Tuesday, which is when the news broke.
When contacted for comment, a representative of the film’s production company, Spyglass Media Group, directed USA TODAY to a statement they had provided to Variety.
Spyglass told Variety that their “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.”
USA TODAY has contacted Barrera’s and the movie’s distributor, Paramount, for a statement.
Director Christopher Landon appeared to address Barrera in a since-deleted post on Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “This is my statement: Everything sucks.” Put an end to your shouting. I did not make the decision to do this.”
Barrera provides links to donate to Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders in her Instagram bio. She co-signed an open letter to President Joe Biden from Artists 4 Ceasefire in a post she made on her Instagram feed on October 27. She was one of many performers, comedians, and musicians who demanded an end to hostilities between Israel and Gaza.
“We must end the bombing of Gaza, secure the safe release of all hostages, and demand adequate access for humanitarian aid to reach the people that desperately need it,” her caption reads.
Actor Susan Sarandon’s agency, United Talent Agency, reportedly fired her on Tuesday after she made a statement during a pro-Palestine rally, according to articles published in The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday.
More than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 others were taken hostage by militants who crashed over the border from Gaza on October 7, according to Israeli authorities. As of Nov. 10, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 11,000 Palestinians had died as a result of Israel’s subsequent military campaign. Palestinian health officials in Gaza stated on Tuesday that they are no longer able to maintain a record of the number of casualties.
Israel’s Cabinet announced on Wednesday that it had reached a cease-fire agreement with Hamas, which would temporarily end hostilities and free dozens of hostages in exchange for prisoners between the two parties.
According to the Israeli government, the agreement calls for Hamas to release 50 of the approximately 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over the course of four days. The majority of the hostages are women and children. It stated that for every ten hostages freed, the lull would be extended by one more day.
