Scream star Melissa Barerra has spoken out about the lack of support she received after being ostracised by the movie industry for her support of Palestine.
The actor played the lead in 2022’s Scream and its 2023 sequel. However, she was fired from this year’s Scream 7 due to controversy surrounding Instagram where she expressed support for Palestine in its ongoing conflict with Israel.
She has worked on films and TV shows since, but told Variety she faced a lot of uncertainty following the firing.
“I had 10 torturous months of uncertainty, and no work, and suffering, and not even knowing if my team was on my side, it was terrible”. When asked if she received support from the industry, she replied: “That’s not the reality of things… I got some messages of support from people in the industry, but what I found is that private messages with no action mean nothing.”
One person she did credit with reviving her fortunes was rapper and filmmaker Boots Riley. “I love him,” she said. “[He] sent me a message in August of 2024 and was like, ‘I got a part for you in my movie.’ And he offered me a part in I Love Boosters. And for some reason, once Boots sent me that message, I suddenly had five messages with offers in my inbox. It’s like he flipped a switch. I call him ‘The Wizard.’ The energy shifted.”
While she didn’t end up taking on the part, she added: “I credit him because he’s literally the only person in the industry who reached out and said, ‘Let me help you out.’”
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