Matthew Lillard is ‘ashamed’ that he returned to the ‘Scream’ franchise after Melissa Barrera was fired for making pro-Palestine posts. ‘I’m on the wrong side of history,’ he told fans at a screening of the OG slasher film. https://t.co/G3NtxdHQib
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) September 16, 2026
During a Q&A at a Scream 30th anniversary screening, Matthew was asked about the difficulty of speaking out on controversial issues as a public figure
He brought up Melissa‘s firing:
“When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up,” he said. “The whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”
“I went back to do Scream, and I got called out,” he said. “I feel bad about that. I feel ashamed about that. Because in that moment I was so excited to go back, I didn’t really think about Melissa and that journey. I didn’t say no.”
“I’m embarrassed, that’s the truth… I blew that. I’m on the wrong side of history for that. I still like being in the movie [but] it may not have been the best idea,” he added.
