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Spyglass Media Group initially declined comment when Variety broke the news that the company had dropped Melissa Barrera from the cast of “Scream 7.” But now the production banner behind the hit horror franchise’s revival is pushing back on a narrative that has quickly coalesced around the decision: that Barrera was fired for showing support for the Palestinian cause. Instead, a spokesperson clarifies that Barrera’s posts were interpreted as antisemitic.
“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,” a Spyglass spokesperson tells Variety.
In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and Israel’s subsequent attacks on Gaza, Barrera has been posting on her Instagram about the conflict, accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and distorting “the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry.” Spyglass quickly cut ties with the “In the Heights” actor, who was slated to star in the next “Scream” outing after leading the fifth and sixth entries over the past two years.
Barrera is no longer working with a publicist, though it is unclear who dropped whom or when the relationship was ended. Variety has reached out to a representative for Barrera for a response.
Filmmaker Christopher Landon, who is slated to take over directing duties on “Scream VII” after Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett stepped away after steering the franchise revival, offered a statement on Barrera’s exit on Tuesday afternoon.
“Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make,” Landon wrote.
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