SCREAM’s Jenna Ortega reunites with Melissa Barrera after franchise firing

Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera had a little reunion meetup with the Scream cast at MPTF’s 17th Annual Evening Before Gala.

Barrera and Ortega brought back together the original “Core 4,” which featured Mason Gooding and Jasmine Savoy Brown. These two have been a part of the franchise since Scream V and Scream VI in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Along with Barrera’s on-screen father and original Ghostface Skeet Ulrich, other cast members Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Jack Quaid, and others attended the reunion.

After sharing a social media message about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Barrera was fired from Scream VII.

Spyglass Media considered Barrera’s perspective on the matter as antisemitic and said in a statement, “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 would reaffirm her position on social media a few days later, claiming that she had sought to utilise her platform to “lend my voice to those in need and to raise awareness about issues I care about,” because it “allows me the privilege of being heard.”

“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 continued. “Silence is not an option for me.”

In the horror franchise, Ortega, who portrayed Barrera’s sister on film, would withdraw from the seventh installment a day later, citing schedule difficulties with her Netflix series on Wednesday.

Christopher Landon, the director of Scream 7, also declared he was leaving the film after the uproar.

“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”

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