Internet backs Hayden Panettiere slamming 'Scream' for removing Melissa Barrera over Israel-Hamas remarks

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Hayden Panettiere of 'Scream' is standing up for her co-star Melissa Barrera, who was let go from the franchise towards the end of 2023 due to remarks she made on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In an interview with The Messenger, Panettiere stated that Barrera's removal from the series was "very unfair and upsetting."

Barrera, who portrayed Sam Carpenter in the 2022 film 'Scream' and the 2023 film 'Scream VI,' was sacked in November 2023 from the next film 'Scream VII' after Spyglass found her social media posts regarding Palestine to be antisemitic.

Spyglass, the production company behind the successful horror franchise, stated at the time: "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," per Variety.

Hayden Panettiere defends co-star Melissa Barrera

In a recent interview with The Messenger, Panettiere described Barrera's termination as "very unfair and upsetting." She said, "After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right? It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else."

After learning of the news, Panettiere, who returned to her role as Kirby Reed from 'Scream 4' in the sixth installment, contacted her co-star Barrera.

Panettiere remarked, "You know, a lot of people hadn't really asked her how she felt," and Barrera thanked her for being in touch.

However, Panettiere claims she is "not worried" about Barrera, stating, "Melissa is such a badass as a human being and as an actress… She was hurt by it, but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it."

Although Panettiere would not reveal whether or not she will be playing the same character in the seventh installment of 'Scream,' she did discuss a new project that will take her far from Woodsboro.

After Barrera was fired, Ortega was also reported to be departing the 'Scream' franchise; however, rumors have it that Ortega's departure was spurred on by a scheduling clash with 'Wednesday' Season 2 production.

Director Christopher Landon said on X (formerly Twitter) that he was leaving 'Scream 7' in December, saying that "it was a dream job that turned into a nightmare."

Internet backs Hayden Panettiere for defending Melissa Barrera

Following Hayden Panettiere's statement, social media users took to the online platform X to express their support and claimed that Melissa Barrera "was fired for no reason."

A second X user praised Panettiere for standing up and wrote, "Spyglass ruined the entire franchise," and another one hailed the two actresses and said, "Team Hayden and Melissa!"

One user wrote: "It's unfortunate to hear about Melissa Barrera's experience with being let go from 'Scream 7.' Hayden Panettiere's support and empathy towards Barrera during this time are commendable. It's always tough to navigate such situations."

"To those of us who are boycotting, let’s take a note from Hayden and center our work in care… not the ugly and vitriolic Twitter speak that is so easy to fall into," chimed in another one.

One more user added, "A (Scream) Queen honoring a (Scream) Queen," while another one praised and said, "Very graceful of her to Publicly stand with Melissa"

"Glad she reached out to her, a true friend and genuine human being would do that," added another one.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.