"I try to continue to have hope": Melissa Barrera reflects on career backlash and being "blacklisted" from Hollywood

Gladys Altamarino Sun, August 9, 2026 at 2:26 AM UTC

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Melissa Barrera is opening up about the professional fallout she experienced after speaking publicly about Palestinians and the war in Gaza.

The Mexican actress and activist, whose involvement in Scream 7 was terminated in 2023 due to posting about the Israeli-Gaza conflict on social media, has revealed that being blacklisted by Hollywood was difficult to process.

"It's hard to comprehend, but it's also not the first time that that has happened to someone, and it won't be the last."

Melissa Barrera pointed to other people who, in her view, faced professional consequences for expressing support for Palestinian rights. She added that children should be able to grow up without being subjected to violence.

"There are a lot of people that got fired for basically saying Palestinians deserve human rights."

Melissa Barrera has also criticized the role played by financial and political motivations, saying that some individuals in power are more concerned with those than with human lives.

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However, despite the experience, the actress said she still has hope of changing people's attitude to the conflict.

"I try to continue to have hope because I do feel that there's a lot more people out there that care, that actually do care about each other and that understand that we're all connected, that we can't turn a blind eye to something that is happening on the other side of the world just because it's on the other side of the world."

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Barrera added that she believes more people are recognizing the suffering of Palestinians and understanding the importance of responding to humanitarian crises, regardless of where they occur.

"It's hard to comprehend, but I also feel like the tide has turned so much and like everybody kind of is just seeing things for what they are, even if they were resisting at the beginning."

Melissa Barrera's vow to continue speaking out: "Silence is not an option for me"

The singer-songwriter's comments come nearly three years after Spyglass Media Group announced Barrera would not return for Scream 7. The company said at the time that some of her social media posts were interpreted as antisemitic, a characterization Barrera rejected.

Melissa Barrera's latest stance echoed her earlier statements, after her daily postings on social media against the killing of Palestinians by the Israeli government and calling for peace. She was sacked from the movie afterward.

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In a statement to Variety, the actress said:

"I believe a group of people are not their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism. I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”