Melissa Barrera Says She’d Return to ‘Scream’ Under One Condition
Melissa Barrera says she would consider returning to the Scream franchise—but only if Spyglass were no longer involved
Credit: CJ Rivera/Invision/AP | Associated Press
Melissa Barrera is clear about her worth and boundaries. The actress, who was dropped from Scream VII over her pro-Palestine comments, recently told JustWatch that she would consider returning only if Spyglass were no longer involved.
“I love the franchise,” Barrera said. “I had an amazing time on those movies. But a lot of the hate and the difficulty that I’ve faced in the last years is because the leadership of that company made it a point to label me something that I’m not, and they never apologized, even when I was proven right.”
At the time, Spyglass Media Group said in a statement to Variety: “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.” The statement signaled that the company considered Barrera’s support for Palestine antisemitic.
Barrera again noted that no apology had been offered, but made clear that an apology would not change her decision. “Even with an apology, I wouldn’t go back to work with them. Not that I’m holding my breath. I don’t think they have that ability. But if the franchise were ever to leave those hands and go into hands that I think honor Wes Craven’s legacy more, I think yeah.”
Barrera played Sam Carpenter in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023). She was not asked to return for Scream VII. After Barrera was fired, Jenna Ortega also left the movie. “I get fired, and I get blocked from a lot of opportunities taken away from me, and it kind of made me have to reevaluate everything about my life, everything that I thought about myself, my identity. I literally had, like, an identity crisis,” she said.
Ultimately, Barrera says she is proud of herself. “I’m so grateful for it, even though it was the hardest time of my life.”
