Scream 7 Hit By Protests And Melissa Barrera Responds

Political protesters crashed the premiere of Scream 7 in support of the franchise’s former star Melissa Barrera, and the actor has seemingly responded.

Barrera, who was originally supposed to star in the newly released Scream 7, was fired in November 2023 by the film’s production company, Spyglass Media Group. The actor was let go due to her social media posts regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. The studio considered her comments antisemitic and accused her of inciting hate, saying she spoke about “genocide and ethnic cleansing.” Spyglass said in a public statement that they would not tolerate Barrera’s behavior. The production company added that it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism.”

The studio’s actions clearly caused a social uproar as fans of both the Scream franchise and Barrera declared that they would boycott the sequel. Many viewers called out Spyglass for taking away the actor’s voice and said that it was wrong to fire someone for speaking their mind through their own platform.

After all the backlash the franchise received and the criticism thrown its way over the last two years, it wasn’t all that surprising that protesters showed up at Scream 7’s premiere. And, it seems as if Barrera is also weighing in on the boycott of the film. In her Instagram story, she posted a cryptic message stating “I see you,” with a heart emoji. Naturally, the made fans believe that the actor was acknowledging the emotional support and was thankful for it.

Audiences weren’t the only ones who condemned Spyglass for its actions. Chair of SAG-AFTRA’s National MENA Committee, Amin El Gamal, accused the production company of creating a toxic work environment and discriminating against its employees. He issued a statement saying, “Barrera’s firing is a weaponization of labor. This repression is a direct extension of Hollywood’s long-standing anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism. Fans and entertainment workers alike are seeking meaningful accountability—not only for workplace discrimination like this, but also for our industry’s complicity in the apartheid and ongoing genocide.”

Barrera portrayed Sam Carpenter in Scream 5 (2022) and Scream 6 (2023). Her character was the daughter of the original Scream (1996) killer, Billy Loomis and Christina Carpenter. Throughout the films, she has hallucinations of her father while trying to protect herself and her loved ones from the copycat murderer. Jenna Ortega played her younger sister, Tara Carpenter, in both films.

Scream 7 is currently playing in theaters now.