Melissa Barrera says she’s “never felt happier, more fulfilled, or more at peace” in her professional life more than two years after her social media commentary on the Israel-Hamas war derailed her Hollywood career.
The “Scream” and “In the Heights” actor gave an interview to Variety this week in which she spoke at length about being fired from “Scream VII” after she publicly criticized the Israeli government’s killing of Palestinian civilians in social media posts that the film’s production company, Spyglass Media Group, had deemed antisemitic.
In the interview, Barrera describes herself as “the perfect scapegoat,” noting that “there are still a lot of people in the industry who have a personal grudge against me.”
“The specifics of my situation were like a perfect storm. I’m a woman of color in this industry,” she told the outlet. “I’m ‘on the rise,’ but I don’t have a big enough name to be untouchable, so they can make an example out of me. I am well-known enough that you can write articles and create all the clickbait propaganda that you need, but also not big enough that people are going to care enough or revolt or do anything in the industry for me.”
Those who felt her posts were antisemitic, she added, were “just factually wrong.”
