Melissa Barrera has released a statement a day after being fired from Scream VII for sharing pro-Palestine posts on social media.
READ MORE: ‘Scream VI’ review: a nightmarish thrill ride through The City That Never Sleeps
On Wednesday (November 22), the Mexican actress shared a post on her Instagram Stories condemning anti-Semitism, stressing that “silence is not an option for me”.
“I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she began the post. “As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel 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.”
Barrera continued: “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,” the actress added. “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.”
Melissa Barrera has released a statement after she was fired from ‘SCREAM 7’ for being vocal about the genocide happening in Palestine.
“Silence is not an option for me.” pic.twitter.com/aEnowhRuDy
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 23, 2023
Her post comes a day after Spyglass Media Group — the production company behind the Scream films — fired Barrera following her social media posts in support of Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
“Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism 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,” a Spyglass spokesperson said in a statement to Variety.
Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega in ‘Scream VI’. CREDIT: Paramount
Elsewhere on Wednesday, it was reported that fellow Scream VI lead Jenna Ortega will not be returning for the seventh instalment, but that her departure was apparently not related to Barrera’s firing.
Following the news of Barrera’s firing, fans have vowed to boycott Scream VII, with many calling for other cast members to walk away from the project in solidarity.
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