Melissa Barrera Was Canceled by Hollywood for Speaking Out Against Israel. She’s Still Fighting Her Way Back. https://t.co/4mw7M1Fw81
— Variety (@Variety) May 6, 2026
The actress was fired in 2023 from Scream 7 after starring as the lead in the previous two installments, reportedly over comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war.
She revealed that she spent roughly ten months without work following her firing, a stretch during which she received little visible industry support despite the public nature of her ousting.
Barrera says the only person who reached out was director Boots Riley who actually offered her a role in 2026’s I Love Boosters. She describes an energy shift in the industry, jokingly calling him “The Wizard” saying after his offer that other offers starting pouring in.
The interviewer also brings up the seventh installment of the Scream franchise, saying that it “sucked” in which she replied “I think they lied about the numbers. I don’t think it made that much money.”
She continues, “The only way they were able to make that movie after what happened was to nostalgia-bait as much as possible.”
Melissa is pushing through it all currently starring in Broadway’s Titaníque and also confirms that she is about to launch her own production company.
