Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Melissa Barrera Breaks Silence After Being Fired From 'Scream 7' Over Israel-Hamas Posts

Melissa Barrera
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

The actor took to her Instagram Stories to 'condemn hate and prejudice of any kind' after she was fired from the film series for criticizing Israel's response to the Hamas attacks in Gaza.

Actor Melissa Barrera broke her silence after she was fired from Scream 7 over posts criticizing Israel's response in Gaza to last month's Hamas attacks.

News outlets reported last week that Barrera had been dropped from the film after she published social media posts in which she said that Gaza—where at least 15,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's campaign against Hamas—is "treated like a concentration camp."


Barrera admonished Israeli forces for "cornering" innocent Gazans, saying they are left with "no where to go, no electricity [and] no water." She said the world is "standing by" in the face of what she referred to as "GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”

In a new post addressing the controversy, Barrera condemned both anti-semitism and Islamophobia, noting that she condemns "hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people."

She pointed out that as a "proud Mexicana," she feels "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."

She added:

“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.”

Barrera concluded:

“Silence is not an option for me.”

You can see her post below.

Melissa Barrera's Instagram Story after being fired from "Scream 7"@melissabarrera/Instagram

Many weighed in on the situation after the actor's message went viral.



Spyglass Media, one of the production companies behind the new crop of Scream films, said it dropped Barrera because it has "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."

Soon after Barrera was fired, Jenna Ortega—who plays sister Tara to Barrera's Sam in both Scream 5 and Scream 6—exited the film, placing its production in jeopardy.

Reports suggested Ortega's departure wasn't linked to Barrera's firing or contractual matters but might have been influenced by scheduling conflicts with her role in Netflix's Wednesday, though that reason has been scrutinized.

Ortega's social media activity, including a "like" on a post supportive of Palestine, fueled speculation about a potential show of solidarity amid the controversy.

More from Trending

Martin Kove; Alicia Hannah-Kim
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images

'Cobra Kai' Star Kicked Out Of Fan Event After Allegedly Biting Costar 'So Hard He Nearly Drew Blood'

Actor Martin Kove is in hot water after allegedly biting his Cobra Kai costar Alicia Hannah-Kim on the arm.

Kove plays Sensei John Creese in the Netflix series and in the 1980s The Karate Kid on which it is based. He was kicked out of a recent fan meet-and-greet following an incident in which Hannah-Kim says Kove assaulted her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kayleigh McEnany
Fox News

McEnany Mocked Over Bonkers Prediction About The Number Of 'Nobel Peace Prizes' Trump Will Win After Iran Strikes

Joining a chorus of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's MAGA minions, current Fox News employee and former Trump administration member Kayleigh McEnany proclaimed Monday that Trump might get 34 Nobel Peace Prizes to offset his 34 felony convictions.

The Nobel prizes were established by Swedish inventor, entrepreneur, and businessman Alfred Nobel upon his death in 1896, although the first prizes were not given until 1901.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marjorie Taylor Greene; Donald Trump
Al Drago/Getty Images; Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/Getty Images

MTG Epically Melts Down Over 'Nasty' Journalists Who Claim She's Beefing With Trump

After media outlets reported on Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's criticism of President Donald Trump's attack on Iran, Greene lashed out at journalists she claims are promoting the "fake narrative" that she's splitting from him after being one of his biggest supporters in Congress.

Earlier this week, she said that "when I’m frustrated and upset over the direction of things, you better be clear, the base is not happy," stressing that she "campaigned for no more foreign wars" and yet had to respond because "now we are supposedly on the verge of going to war with Iran."

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

AOC Offers Fiery Response After Trump Lashes Out At Her For Threatening 'Impeachment' Over Iran Strikes

President Donald Trump attacked New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a post on Truth Social, saying "she should be forced to take the Cognitive Test" after she called for his impeachment following his attack on Iran without explicit approval from Congress.

Earlier, Ocasio-Cortez said Trump's "disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," adding:

Keep ReadingShow less

People Divulge The Biggest Secrets They're Keeping From Their Spouse

We've all heard how important it is for long-term couples, especially married couples, to not keep secrets from one another.

Unfortunately, some dark secrets, like affairs, second families, and terrible choices, lurk in the closets of even the most loving-looking couples.

Keep ReadingShow less