Jenna Ortega finally spoke out against the firing of her close friend and colleague Melissa Barrera, from the seventh installment of Scream. The actress threatened to leave the saga if they did not reinstate her castmate, who proclaimed herself in favor of Palestine amid the war with Israel.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the Wednesday star Jenna Ortega contacted her rep agency to terminate her contract with Spyglass, in charge of the horror film in which she stars. The production company considered that Melissa Barrera’s comments crossed a line into anti-Semitism, that is, they reiterated the “anti-Semitic cliché that Jews control the media.”
“We have absolutely no tolerance for anti-Semitism or hate speech in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion, or anything that blatantly crosses the line into hate speech,” the production company said in a statement.
What Did Melissa Barrera Say About Palestine?
Through several stories on Instagram, Melissa Barrera spoke out in favor of Palestine, denouncing that the media “tries to make them invisible.”
“I have been actively seeking videos and information about the Palestinian side for the past two weeks, following accounts, etc. Why? Because the Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I’ll let you figure out for yourself. Usually, the social media algorithm captures the essence. Well… My discovery page on IG will ONLY show me videos that show and talk about the Israeli side. The censorship is very real. Palestinians know it, they know that the world has been trying to make them invisible for decades,” she noted.
In another post, the actress highlighted coming from a country that was also colonized and expressed her support against genocidal activities. “I also come from a colonized country. Palestine will be free. They tried to bury us, but they don’t know we are seeds,” she wrote in an Instagram story.
Although the only thing the Mexican actress, who was succeeding in Hollywood, was looking for was to raise awareness in society, in search of peace, her stance on this armed conflict was not at all to the liking of the producer of Scream 7.
Mexicans Call to Boycott Scream 7 after Melissa Barrera’s Firing
After it became known that Melissa Barrera had been fired from Scream 7 for her pro-Palestinian comments, several Mexicans and other celebrities, including Jenna Ortega, rallied to support her. Some users even called for a boycott of the film, which could only be “saved” by the reinstatement of Melissa, otherwise, they warned, they would not watch it, using the hashtag #JusticeForMelissaBarrera.
“So I won’t watch #SCREAM7 anymore because #Spyglass decided to run #MelissaBarrera off for voicing her opinion,” “I love these movies, but after this, I won’t watch them anymore. I just hope #Jennaortega quits too,” “Melissa Barrera is calling for a ceasefire. Since when is speaking out for peace incitement to hate?” read among the comments.
What Did Melissa Barrera Say About Her Dismissal from Scream 7?
Amid the controversy over her dismissal from the saga, Melissa Barrera shared an image on social networks where she assures that she prefers not to be part of the film than to silence her voice. “At the end of the day, I prefer to be excluded because of who I include, than to be included because of who I exclude,” she wrote.
Fans Compare Ezra Miller’s Case with Melissa Barrera’s
Several issues have been addressed in social networks, highlighting that the producer’s decision is more against Mexicans and people from the LGBT+ community, but also that it is a matter of misogyny since Melissa was fired for expressing her opinion, while Ezra Miller, despite everything he has done, including criminal acts, is still being opened doors in the industry.
Recall that the actor was arrested on March 28, 2022, for disorderly conduct and harassment, during two separate incidents that occurred at a karaoke bar in Hawaii, in addition to his highly aggressive reactions, and it’s not the first time.
However, the public and the industry would continue to support him, so much so that he reappeared at the premiere of The Flash as if nothing had happened. Some say that all this seems more like a “witch hunt,” where “Hollywood men can do whatever they want, and nothing happens to them”.
This story was written in Spanish by Nayeli Párraga in Cultura Colectiva
