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Credit: NetflixUPDATE: We have reported continuing developments in this Jenna Ortega story here and will continue to as the story goes on.
Jenna Ortega has reportedly threatened to walk off a massive horror franchise after Melissa Barrera, her co-star and on-screen sister, was abruptly fired from Scream VII after posting pro-Palestine comments on social media.
We reported last night that Melissa Barrera was fired from the hugely successful Scream reboot series, in which she portrays lead character Sam Carpenter, after posting statements about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine that were perceived as invoking a notorious anti-Semitic trope.
In a now-deleted Instagram story, Melissa Barrera asserted that “Censorship is very real” and questioned why she could not find “videos and information about the Palestinian side,” continuing on to say “western media” suppressed information and “Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”
Related: Billie Eilish Replaces Jenna Ortega in ‘Wednesday’ as Netflix Fires Cast
This last statement, in particular, was criticized as invoking the anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Western media was controlled by Jewish people. Melissa Barrera was abruptly fired from the upcoming Scream sequel by Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the series (which is distributed by Paramount Pictures).
Spyglass issued a statement, saying, “[Our] 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.”
Less than 24 hours later, fans of the Scream series are alleging that Jenna Ortega, who portrays Barrera’s young sister Tara Carpenter in the movies, has asked to be released from her obligations and will walk away from a massive franchise in solidarity.
To be clear, this has not been confirmed by the Netflix star or her representation, so her actual actions and beliefs on the Melissa Barrera situation are unknown. In fact, while many commentators are citing a report from Entertainment Tonight, Inside the Magic has not been able to locate this article.
However, this has not stopped Jenna Ortega (and Scream) fans from overwhelmingly supporting the Wednesday actress and calling on her to quit the series.
Related: Jenna Ortega Officially Reveals Future of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’
On Twitter, it seems that @UnlHorror_ was an early account to make this claim, saying “🚨 Jenna Ortega asked her agency to end her contract with the scream franchise, after Melissa Barrero was fired, says Entertainment Tonight.
#JusticeForMelissaBarrera #Scream7”
🚨 Jenna Ortega asked her agency to end her contract with the scream franchise, after Melissa Barrero was fired, says Entertainment Tonight.#JusticeForMelissaBarrera #Scream7 pic.twitter.com/pisKd9viTv
— 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 (@UnlHorror_) November 22, 2023
This was swiftly picked up on by individual users, like @sinkschampion, who posted “jenna ortega asking to end her contract with scream 7 after what they did to melissa speaks volumes of her. not only she’s sympathizing with her sister on and off screen, but also refusing to work for a pro-genocide company that fires their actors for standing up for Palestine.”
jenna ortega asking to end her contract with scream 7 after what they did to melissa speaks volumes of her. not only she’s sympathizing with her sister on and off screen, but also refusing to work for a pro-genocide company that fires their actors for standing up for palestine. pic.twitter.com/JCeEZ2ZHpk
— sashy ⸆⸉ (@sinkschampion) November 22, 2023
Twitter user @itgirlposts posted that Melissa Barrera told Access Hollywood that Jenna Ortega had actually been the one to tell her that she had been fired and that others would be leaving the Scream series. It bears mentioning that the post did not include a direct link to the article and that Inside the Magic has not been able to locate the alleged interview.
the fact that Jenna Ortega is the only one who stood up for her, and now she’s leaving Scream 7 too pic.twitter.com/u533lMbirm
— Common White Girl (@itgirlposts) November 22, 2023
At this time, it will have to remain to be seen whether Jenna Ortega, who starred in Scream V and Scream VI with Melissa Barrera, is actually looking to leave the series or if this is just Internet speculation. We will continue to update with confirmations.
Do you think Jenna Ortega, director Christopher Landon, and co-stars like Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding should leave Scream VII? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!