Melissa Barrera has come a long way since she was fired from the Scream franchise and blacklisted from the industry after being accused of antisemitism for speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
In a new interview with Variety published May 6, the 35-year-old actress reflected on the repercussions of her “cancellation” and how she, being a woman of colour with not enough influence in the industry, was “the perfect scapegoat.”
Barrera made her Scream debut in the franchise’s fifth installment in 2022 as Sam Carpenter opposite Jenna Ortega as her sister, Tara Carpenter. The duo reprised their roles for Scream 6 in 2023, but the Wednesday star exited the franchise shortly after Barrera was fired.
The Variety interviewer asked Barrera if anyone reached out in support, noting that “at least Jenna Ortega dropped out.” But Barrera’s response was telling. “That’s not the reality of things…” she said while shaking her head.
Barrera explained that while she “got some messages of support from people in the industry,” there was ultimately no meaningful “action” taken. “Private messages with no action mean nothing,” she noted.
The actress revealed that she went through “ten torturous months” of not having any offers until rapper Boots Riley offered her a role in his film, I Love Boosters. While things have gotten significantly better for her career, Barrera notes she’s “still blocked from certain places to this day.”
After her firing, Barrera needed a “break from all the bullshit that is Hollywood” and started focusing on Broadway, currently starring in Titanique as Rose.
But the Scream franchise went on without Barrera, coming out with its seventh installment in February 2026. But Barrera doesn’t feel she’s missing out on much. “I know [it sucked]. And I think they lied about the numbers. I don’t think it made that much money.”
She went on to blast Spyglass Media Group, agreeing that they’re “scabby” for bringing back original cast members, including Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Matthew Lillard.
“Oh, one hundred percent. I think they all are [scabby]. And they have to live with that,” she said. “The only way they were able to make that movie after what happened was to nostalgia-bait as much as possible.”
