What did Melissa Barrera say?
In late November 2023, Melissa Barrera made several social media posts regarding the Israel-Hamas war. “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,” she wrote in one post on Instagram stories. “Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
On November 21, 2023, the film studio Spyclass made a statement after news broke she’d been fired from the project. “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,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
Barrera has made dozens of posts about the war since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, including one that remains on her Instagram feed. “We come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Palestine and Israel.”
The post continued: “Please join us in demanding that Congress, @POTUS, and other world leaders call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. We must end the bombing of Gaza, secure the safe release of all hostages, and demand adequate access for humanitarian aid to reach the people that desperately need it.”
In an interview with People, Barrera spoke of the new Scream film and getting to know her character, Sam. “In the fifth [movie], they were thrown into the ring, and it’s chaos,” she said. “I’m very happy that we get to know Sam a little bit more in the sixth movie. I was like, ‘She’s such an interesting character because she has so many demons that can be—if the writers and directors want—explored and lead to a very interesting challenge for me. In the sixth one, [they] take her in that direction. I feel very happy about that.”