Jenna Ortega has reportedly left the Scream franchise following Melissa Barrera’s shocking axe.
Melissa, who joined the cast as Sam Carpenter in the fifth installment, was sacked from the upcoming Scream 7 film on Tuesday due to statements she made about Israel’s current battle with Hamas.
As director Christopher Landon conceded that it ‘wasn’t his choice to make,’ enraged fans vowed to boycott the sequel.
Jenna, who has been vocal about her support for Palestine on social media, has reportedly left the project.
Deadline reports her decision was not related to the fallout from Melissa’s remarks but due to scheduling conflicts.
The screenplay for Scream 7 is apparently not yet finished, and Jenna, whose exit was reportedly discussed before to the actor’s strike, is preparing to film the second season of Wednesday in April.
Unrest in Palestine has grown since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,200 Palestinians.
As a result of retaliatory assaults, tensions have risen, with Gazan health officials saying that the Palestinian dead toll has topped 11,000 people.
Many people have asked for a cease-fire, including some Hollywood celebrities.
The Israeli government signed a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the last few hours, putting an end to the horrific siege.
Hamas will soon begin releasing scores of captives detained in the Gaza Strip in return for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Melissa was among several in Hollywood who used their platforms to urge for a ceasefire and a stop to the carnage.
In a post to her page last month, the In The Heights actress said that she came from a colonized country, posting a Mexican flag, and said ‘Palestine will be free.’
Another upload, written by herself, read: ‘Just like all Palestinians are NOT Hamas, All Jewish people are NOT the Israeli Govt. Do not blame, or hate on, a whole group of people because of what some are doing.’
‘Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp,’ a post read. ‘Cornering everyone together, with nowhere to go, no electricity no water.
‘People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.’
Insiders reported Deadline on Tuesday that Melissa had been fired from Scream 7 due to her postings about the issue, though she has yet to comment.
According to a Spyglass spokesman, the studio viewed her statements as antisemitic.
They said in a statement to Variety: ‘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.’
