Why Was Melissa Barrero Fired From Scream 7?

Mexican actress Melissa Barrera has been dropped from the Scream movie franchise after voicing opinions on the Palestine and Israel conflict the studio deemed antisemitic.

In a series of Instagram story posts, Barrera posted infographics about the conflict and wrote: "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water...people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING."

"Jewish children are dying. Innocent Jewish people are dying. Palestinian children are dying and have been dying for decades. Innocent Palestinians are and have been dying for decades. Not always because of bombs. But because they live in a prison and have had vital resources limited," wrote Barrera on Instagram.

In response to Barrera's post, Spyglass, the studio behind the Scream films, released a statement explaining their decision to part ways with her.

"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," said Spyglass.

Barrera is known for her roles in telenovelas, but recently had her American movie breakthrough after starting the 2021 movie adaptation of In the Heights, a musical about a Dominican American neighborhood in New York City. Most recently, she played a starring role in Scream and Scream VI, the slasher film franchise that was rebooted in 2022.

Barrera's posts in were relation to the Israel-Hamas war that began on October 7 after an attack carried out by the Palestinian group, labeled as terrorist by the U.S., where 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage. In response, Israel launched an attack on the Gaza Strip aimed at freeing the hostages and defeating Hamas. Authorities in Gaza say that over 11,000 civilians have died as a result of the bombings and combats in the enclave.

Since the early days of the conflict, Barrera has voiced her support for the people of Palestine, and posted on Instagram calling on President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire to evacuate residents and allow access to humanitarian aid.

Barrera is among the Latinos who stand in support of Palestine. Latin American heads of State, including the presidents of Chile, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela, have voiced their support for Palestine. Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors from the country, while Bolivia severed diplomatic ties altogether.

The latest development from the war is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's cabinet has agreed to a multiday truce that includes the release of dozens of hostages being held by Hamas.

Hamas said the "humanitarian truce" will also see the release of 150 Palestinians detained in Israel. The militant group also said the ceasefire in Gaza will begin Thursday, 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).