Hayden Panettiere, who played Kirby Reed in Scream VI alongside Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter, recently shared her thoughts on Barrera’s firing from the Scream franchise.
Hayden Panettiere via Women’s Health YouTube
Barrera was fired from Scream VII by production Spyglass who stated it has “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 made a number of posts that she shared to her Instagram Stories regarding Israel’s actions in Palestine condemning the actions of Israel. One of her most controversial according to The Hollywood Reporter read, “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water … People have learnt from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING.”
Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter in Scream VI (2023), Spyglass
Reacting to Barrera’s firing Panettiere told The Messenger that it was “very unfair and upsetting.”
She added, “After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right? It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else.”
Furthermore, Panettiere shared she’s not worried about her Scream VI colleague, “Melissa is such a badass as a human being and as an actress. … She was hurt by it, but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it.”
Hayden Panettiere via Women’s Health YouTube
Barrera initially reacted to the firing, sharing a post to Instagram Stories that read, “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
She continued, “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, sexual orientation or soci-economic status- deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom.”
“I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” she added. “I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom.”
Barrera concluded, “Silence is not an option for me.”
Melissa Barrera explicitly condemning Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and advocating for human rights, dignity, freedom, safety and peace.#JusticeForMelissaBarrera pic.twitter.com/eVgN3jRcEL
— Laura Franco &HM stand w/ Melissa Barrera (@OoXLR8oO) November 23, 2023
More recently in an interview with Rolling Stone, Barrera affirmed interviewer Marlow Stern’s assertion that Spyglass’ accusation of Holocaust distortion was an attempt to kill her career without any evidence to back it up.
She said, “Yeah. I appreciate you. I’m not the first person that’s happened to, but it was shocking. I don’t even know what to say. I think everything that happened was very transparent, on both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity and a place of human rights and a place of freedom for people, which shouldn’t be controversial.”
“It shouldn’t be up for debate. So, I’m very at peace. The people who know me in my family know the truth about me and where I stand, and I think most people in the world also do,” she concluded.
Hayden Panettiere via Good Morning America YouTube
What do you make of Panettiere’s comments?
