‘The darkest and hardest year of my life’: Melissa Barrera speaks out on ‘Scream’ firing
There was outrage on social media last year when Melissa Barrera was fired from the Scream franchise. Her comments about the Israel-Palestine conflict were said with anger, but it was righteous anger because what Israel is doing to the people of Gaza is a human rights abuse on an almost unfathomable scale.
Barrera frequently made Instagram Stories about the situation in Gaza. She accused Israel of “Genocide and ethnic cleansing,” and wrote in another post, “I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts, etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself. Usually the algorithm on social media gets the gist.”
Some took this to mean she was referencing the antisemitic trope of Jewish people controlling the media. It’s important to note, however, that she essentially condemned antisemitism in another post, writing, “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. I stand with all those caught in the crossfire.” She also posted “I love my Jewish friends. I stand with you in these horrible times. I empathize with your fear and pain. No one deserves to be persecuted or attacked.”
Spyglass decided that the comments were enough to fire Barrera over. They released a statement, saying “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.” It was heartbreaking for Barrera and it affected her career. Now, she’s speaking out about the peace of mind her defiance cost her.
She told The Independent all about it. The period after the firing was, she said, “the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything. There were times where I felt like my life was over.” Suddenly, she was getting fewer offers of acting work. “It was quiet for, like, 10 months. 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.'”
Thankfully, things have improved for Barrera since then. She starred in Abigail this year, and now she’s promoting the monster musical Your Monster. Additionally, Hollywood seems to have finally shifted in a different direction when it comes to condemning the genocide. Mark Ruffalo, for example, has been using social media to call for a ceasefire.
Barrera mentioned in her interview that plenty of people have spoken to her at conventions and told her they believed she’d been treated unfairly. “[T]hey’re like, ‘What they did to you is so messed up, I’m so sorry that happened!'” But a part of Barrera, the Independent noted, was grateful for the firestorm she found herself in. “For the longest time, I gave myself value as a human because of my work. So when I saw it potentially ending, I was like, who even am I? And I realized that I’m so much more than just an actor—I’m a great sister, a great daughter, a great friend,” she said. “And I’m very capable of finding success in something else if I wanted it.”
It’s important to note that the war in Gaza has claimed the lives of over 45,078 Palestinians so far, according to Al Jazeera, and the charity Save the Children says that Gaza is currently the most deadly place in the world for children, with 3,100 of the deaths being under-fives. If there was ever a time to speak out, it’s now.
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