Melissa Barrera Reflects On ‘Darkest Year’ After Being Fired From ‘Scream’ Franchise For Calling Israel’s Actions In Gaza ‘Genocide’

Scream actress Melissa Barrera shared what the last year has been like for her following the lull in her career due to her controversial comments about Israel’s actions in the Gaza war.

In November 2023, Barrera posted opinions on the conflict in the Middle East on her Instagram stories, in which she dubbed the war a genocide and ethnic cleansing, declaring, “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp.”

In a Tuesday interview with The Independent, Barrera recalled the effect of the backlash she received: “It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to re-evaluate everything…There were times when I felt like my life was over.”

She continued, “It was quiet for, like ten months…I was still getting offers for small things here and there – I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but [the message] was, like, ‘Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything.’”

In November 2023, the Scream franchise fired Barrera for her comments and released a statement that asserted, “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.”

In response to her firing, Barrera posted a statement to her Instagram stories on November 23, which read, “First and foremost, I condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”

She continued, “I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” she added. “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 explained the philosophy she landed on to cope with the situation: “There are always going to be people that love you and people that hate you, and people that are open to a story continuing, and people that think that continuing it is ruining it. If they want to go watch the next one? Cool. If they don’t? Also cool.”

She went on, “You just gotta act according to how you preach. And that depends on what you value, what your morals are, and whether you can separate that from art or not.”

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