- Barrera fired over social posts
- Sarandon contract terminated
- Spyglass enforces zero tolerance
Melissa Barrera was fired from the upcoming Scream film sequel after her pro-Palestinian social media postings were deemed antisemitic by the film’s producers.
Frequent posts by the celebrity addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict, with one reshare containing the accusation of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” against Israel.
As stated by the production company Spyglass, there is “zero tolerance for antisemitism.”
In the interim, her Hollywood agency has terminated Susan Sarandon’s contract following her participation in a pro-Palestinian rally.
Mexican actress Barrera and Sarandon, who starred in Thelma & Louise, have not commented on their respective situations.
Social Media Posts and Departure Speculations
Barrera reshared a quote from another account on her Instagram story prior to the announcement of her departure: “In the end, I would rather be excluded for the people I choose to include than included for the people I choose to exclude.”
Some of her followers have construed that post as an allusion to her dismissal from the film.
In addition to helming the previous two Scream films, Barrera has also appeared in the 2021 adaptation of the stage musical In The Heights and the recent film adaptation of Carmen.
Barrera has also disseminated several other posts in recent weeks, one of which advocated the “strategic fabrication of the Holocaust to bolster the Israeli arms industry,” and the other characterised Gaza’s present treatment as “concentration camp-like.”
“Our position is unequivocally clear,” a representative of the Scream 7 production company Spyglass said in a statement to Variety.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
The statement read, “We strictly prohibit any form of antisemitism or hate speech incitement, including false accusations of genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, or anything else that blatantly crosses the line into hate speech.”
Christopher Landon’s Social Media Reference
It appeared that Christopher Landon, who is anticipated to direct Scream 7, stylized as Scream VII, made a social media reference to the situation.
He wrote in a since-deleted post, “Everything stinks. Cease your shouting. I did not make the decision to do so.”
Rebooting Scream in 2022, the fifth film made $137 million (£109 million) and the sixth $169 million (£135 million).
In the films, Barrera portrayed Sam Carpenter, the elder sister of Tara, who was portrayed by Jenna Ortega.
Reiterating their original roles were Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell in the rebooted films as well.
UTA has informed talent agency UTA that actress Sarandon has been dismissed, which followed the news of Barrera’s dismissal.
She has faced criticism for her remarks at the rally last week, in which she stated, “Many individuals are experiencing firsthand what it is like to be a Muslim in this violent nation, where they are afraid to identify as Jewish.”
Additionally, she stated that individuals were “educating themselves and removing themselves from the brainwashing that began when they were children.”
“Be courageous, patient, and clear, and stand with anyone who has the courage to speak out,” Sarandon urged the audience.
One of the senior executives at another Hollywood agency, CAA Maha Dakhil, whose Instagram posts addressed the conflict drew criticism: “What could be more devastating than bearing witness to genocide? Observing the negation of the genocide’s occurrence.”
Consequently, Ms. Dakhil was terminated from her position as co-chief of the motion pictures department. However, she was permitted to maintain her status as an agent.
Tom Cruise, one of CAA’s most famous clients, told Variety and other trade journals that he supported Ms. Dakhil.
Last week, Cruise reportedly met Ms. Dakhil in person at the agency’s office to personally express his support.
On October 7, Gaza-based militants affiliated with Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 240 others.
Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at the annihilation of Hamas. More than 14,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the government commanded by Hamas.
Israel and Hamas agreed to release 50 Gaza hostages for a four-day ceasefire.
