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.
@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.
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