Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera’s on-screen sister and co-star in Scream VI, is also leaving the sequel, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. This came just one day after it was revealed that Barrera had been fired from the Scream franchise by Spyglass Media Group. The Mexican actress, 33, was fired from Scream VII following her social media posts about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The unexpected departure of the Wednesday actress from the highly anticipated horror film with the excuse of “scheduling conflicts”, has the entertainment industry in disarray. But in light of the recent reports of Barrera’s termination from the same project, there are questions about a deeper reason behind Ortega’s sudden exit. Beyond merely a scheduling conflict, is there more going on here?
Well, the seventh installment in the franchise will suffer greatly from losing both of its leading ladies, particularly given Ortega’s star power—she gained immense fame for her work on Netflix’s Wednesday.
Scream VII: Uncovering the Truth Behind Jenna Ortega’s Mysterious Exit
Jenna Ortega, according to Deadline, has walked away from Scream VII on her own account due to scheduling conflicts. The striking thing is that it came to light exactly one day after it was made public that Melissa Barrera was let go from the franchise following her Israel-Palestine posts.
There is currently no information available regarding the Scream VII schedule. Still, one thing is certain for Ortega following Wednesday’s success and her meteoric rise to fame: the future of the Scream franchise is entirely up to her. A seventh installment in the Scream franchise has the potential to gross $1 billion worldwide at the box office. It stands at $911 million after six films.
After Barrera’s abrupt firing, Ortega’s departure from Scream VII—which was originally ascribed to scheduling conflicts—has been assumed to have a deeper meaning. There may be more to this story than meets the eye; she may be supporting Barrera after her alleged firing.
Fans and industry insiders are wondering what will happen to Scream VII in light of the departures of both actresses, which present serious production challenges. We can only guess the underlying causes of these unexpected exits until more information becomes available.
Melissa Barrera Speaks Out After Scream VII Firing
Melissa Barrera, who was fired from Scream VII, has taken to social media to express her displeasure. The actress recently made a heartfelt statement on Instagram Stories:
“First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
Barrera’s post followed her termination from the horror franchise by Spyglass Media due to her social media comments regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas. She also shared her words regarding those posts, adding:
“As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need. Every person on this earth- regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, s*xual orientation or socio-economic status- deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom.”
To conclude her speech, she stated:
“Silence is not an option for me.”
Following the announcement that Barrera would not be reprising her role as Sam Carpenter, Spyglass Media released a statement outlining their reasons for parting ways with the Mexican actress. The statement reads (via PEOPLE):
“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.”
Barrera first appeared as Sam Carpenter in the 2022 film Scream and then in 2023 with Scream VI, as the daughter of villain Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich). Her character was supposed to be the new franchise lead, succeeding Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott.
The release date for Scream VII has yet to be announced. Meanwhile, Scream VI is available on fuboTV, and Paramount Plus.
