Mexican actor Melissa Barrera has opened up about the backlash she faced in Hollywood following her comments on the genocide taking place in Palestine. In a recent interview with The Independent, the 34-year-old described the past year as the most challenging of her life. "It was the darkest and hardest year of my life, and I had to reevaluate everything," she said. "There were times when I felt like my life was over."
The controversy began after Barrera, known for her role in the Scream franchise, took to social media in October 2023. She called for a ceasefire and criticised Israel's military response to the October 7 attack. In one Instagram story, she wrote, "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. This is genocide and ethnic cleansing." She also accused Western media of bias, posting: "Western media only shows the other side why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself. We don't need more hate. No Islamophobia. No antisemitism."
The comments sparked immediate backlash. Spyglass, the studio behind the recent Scream films, responded by cutting ties with Barrera, removing her from the upcoming Scream VII. "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," the company stated.
In the aftermath, Barrera found herself navigating a difficult landscape in Hollywood. "It was quiet for like 10 months," she revealed, referring to the slowdown in acting offers. "I was still getting offers for small things here and thereI'm not going to lie and say there was nothingbut (the message) was, 'Oh, she probably doesn't have work, she'll say yes to anything.'"
"I kept getting horror scripts," Barrera said, reflecting on the roles that came her way. "I wasn't getting a lot of the really exciting parts I was auditioning for. I would get (roles) that I wasn't excited about, and I've never been a person that just wants to work for work's sake. I give so much of myself to acting that if a part of me feels like it's not worth it, I'm (going to) be miserable."
Despite being fired from the franchise, Barrera continues to appreciate what the films added to her life, "I made really good friends While I still have so much love for these movies, the reminder of that very sour moment makes it a little weird," she added.
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