Melissa Barrera has opened up about Scream 7—three years after she was removed from the long-running horror series following social media posts about Israel.
Barrera helped front the franchise’s modern revival, appearing in 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI as Sam Carpenter.
After she was dismissed from the project in 2023, co-star Jenna Ortega also exited, and director Christopher Landon later stepped away—moves that fueled speculation the series could struggle to move forward.
With momentum to regain, the next film leaned heavily into legacy casting, bringing back original-era names such as Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, and Neve Campbell, while adding newer cast members including Mckenna Grace.
Now, Barrera has spoken bluntly about those who remained involved.
Speaking with Variety, the actor was asked whether the people who continued working on the franchise effectively “crossed the picket line” while she protested Israel’s war against Palestine—and whether that made them “scabs.”
She said: “Oh, 100 percent. I think they all are. And they have to live with that.
“The only way they were able to make that movie after what happened was to nostalgia-bait as much as possible.”
Barrera was fired from the Scream franchise in 2023 after SpyGlass Media Group said her posts were anti-semitic.
At the time, she had been frequently posting about the Israel-Hamas conflict, including content accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
She also shared links to Palestinian human rights groups raising funds, and reposted commentary from Holocaust scholars alleging Israel was committing genocide.
Among the posts referenced were claims about distorting Holocaust history “to boost the Israeli arms industry,” plus another suggesting Gaza was “currently being treated like a concentration camp.”
Spyglass, the production company behind the Scream films, issued the following statement to Variety about her firing: “Spyglass’ 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.”
However, the In the Heights actor rejected the idea that her comments were hateful.
She said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2024: “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.”
For now, SpyGlass’ pivot back toward legacy appeal appears to have paid off commercially, with Scream 7 reportedly setting a new high-water mark for the franchise. The film is said to have earned $97.2 million worldwide.
Still, Barrera criticized the movie itself and cast doubt on the reported performance, saying: “I think they lied about the numbers. I don’t think it made that much money.”
Barrera’s representatives and SpyGlass Media Group have been approached for comment.