Scream star Melissa Barrera was fired from the hit slasher franchise last year after sharing social media posts supporting Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Spyglass released a statement suggesting she'd posted antisemitic social media posts which "flagrantly [crossed] the line into hate speech." However, the majority of the actor's fans disagreed and quickly expressed their unhappiness with the decision.
With that, the original version of Scream 7 fell apart. Wednesday star Jenna Ortega walked away from the movie, and while it's been widely reported that a pay dispute was the main issue, rumour has it she may have also left the movie as a means of showing solidarity with Barrera.
Either way, without its two leads, it was clear Scream 7 couldn't be made in its current form. Ultimately, even director Christopher Landon exited the project, saying his decision came down to the fact that "it was a dream job that turned into a nightmare."
Talking to The Independent (via FearHQ.com), Barrera admitted that "there were times where I felt like my life was over" following her very public firing and the potential "cancellation" that followed.
"It was quiet for, like, 10 months," she added. "I was still getting offers for small things here and there - I’m not going to lie and say there was nothing – but [the message] was, like, 'Oh, she probably doesn’t have work, she’ll say yes to anything.'"
Despite her time as Sam Carpenter, the daughter of Billy Loomis, coming to an abrupt end, Barrera said, "They gave me a lot in my career. I made really good friends. I have such loyal fans from those movies that are now watching the rest of the stuff that I do."
Noting that fans at conventions frequently bring up what happened, albeit in a sympathetic manner, the actor explained, "Or they’re like, 'What they did to you is so messed up, I’m so sorry that happened!' And it’s something, I think, that’s never going to end. Because the franchise is never going to end. So while I still have so much love for [those movies], the reminders of that very sour moment make it a little bit weird."
When all was said and done, Barrera wasn't cancelled and she's since managed to rebound with roles in Abigail, Your Monster, and the upcoming Copenhagen.
"It felt like I had been invisible, and then all of a sudden, there was a switch that made me visible again," she added. "I feel better. I was stuck in the sand dunes for a while, and now I feel like my feet are moving, I have an oxygen tank, and I’m, like...going up."
While Barrera is busy moving on, Neve Campbell has officially announced her return as Sidney Prescott for Scream 7, with Isabel May set to play one of Sidney's daughters. Courteney Cox's return as Gale Weathers has also been confirmed.