Jenna Ortega ‘quits Scream franchise’ after co-star Melissa Barrera fired for Gaza comments

Jenna Ortega Scream premiere
Jenna Ortega has reportedly quit the Scream franchise (Picture: Getty)

Jenna Ortega has quit the Scream franchise after Melissa Barrera’s shock axe, it has been claimed.

It was announced on Tuesday that Melissa, who joined the fold as Sam Carpenter in the fifth instalment, had been fired from the upcoming Scream 7 movie over her comments regarding Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas.

As director Christopher Landon admitted that it ‘wasn’t his decision to make’, furious fans threatened to boycott the sequel.

According to reports, Jenna – who has also been vocal about her support for Palestine on social media – has since walked off the project.

Deadline reports her decision was not related to the fallout from Melissa’s remarks but due to scheduling conflicts.

The outlet claims the script for Scream 7 is not yet ready and Jenna, whose exit was reportedly discussed before the actor’s strike, is preparing to shoot the second season of Wednesday in April.

Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera in Scream
Melissa Barrera’s axe was confirmed this week (Picture: Paramount)

Unrest has continued to grow in Palestine after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, leaving at least 1,200 people dead.

The tensions have escalated amid retaliatory attacks, with the Gaza media office reporting that the Palestinian death toll has reached 14,532.

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Many have called for a ceasefire, with some stars in Hollywood also making their voices heard.

Over the last few hours, the Israeli government approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas, bringing a temporary halt to the devastating siege.

Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera in Scream
The pair star as siblings Sam and Tara Carpenter (Picture: Paramount)

Hamas will now begin releasing dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Melissa had been among those in Hollywood using their platforms to call for a ceasefire, and for the bloodshed to end.

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.’

Melissa Barrera
Melissa was fired over her pro Gaza Instagram comments (Picture: FilmMagic)

‘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.’

On Tuesday, insiders told Deadline that Melissa had been dropped from Scream 7 over her posts regarding the conflict, though she has yet to address the news herself.

A spokesperson for Spyglass claimed that the studio interpreted her comments to be 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.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Jenna and Paramount for a comment.

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