Matthew Lillard expressed regret Tuesday over his decision to film “Scream 7” after actor Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise over her social media posts about the Israel-Gaza war, saying he was “on the wrong side of history.”
Video showed Lillard speaking to fans during a Q&A at a 30th-anniversary screening for the original “Scream” at a Regal movie theater in Austin, Texas. It’s unclear what the question was, as the video shows only Lillard speaking, but it appears to have been related to celebrities’ taking stances on political topics.
Lillard described it as a “great question” and referred to the ongoing situation with singer Ed Sheeran, who faces backlash after venues pressured him to drop Macklemore from his tour over his pro-Palestinian remarks.
“I don’t think it’s easy all the time,” he said, before he referred to Barrera.
Barrera starred in “Scream 6” and had been expected to return for the seventh installment of the hit horror franchise, but she was fired in 2023. Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind the film, confirmed it had dropped Barrera after she shared Instagram posts condemning Israel.
According to a Variety report, Barrera’s post included references to Israel as a “colonized” land and reshared posts that accused Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing.” Another post said, “Western media only shows the (Israeli) side.”
“Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself,” the post reportedly said.
Spyglass told Variety in a statement that it has zero tolerance for “antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.” Barrera initially declined to comment, but she later told The Associated Press that she was “grateful” for everything that had happened and felt it was an “awakening.”
“Melissa Barrera, who’s a beautiful actor, was fired for what she said after the whole Palestinian — what started happening in Israel,” Lillard said. “It’s really f---ing bulls--- and really hard, and she’s on the right side of history.”
“But the whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal,” he said.
Lillard spoke days after rapper Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour over a speech and a performance centered on his pro-Palestinian views.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, said Monday that venues threatened to cancel Sheeran’s shows in response to his saying “Free Palestine” onstage. Among those involved was New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, whom Macklemore accused of organizing a boycott against him.
Ttalking about the consequences Barrera suffered, Lillard said, “And when they start coming after your job, sometimes things are worth it.”
He noted that he “got called out” for returning to the “Scream” franchise in the same film Barrera was set to star in. He described himself as being on “the wrong side of history” for that choice.
“I feel bad about that. I feel ashamed about that,” he said. “Because in that moment I was so excited to go back that I didn’t really think about Melissa and that journey and didn’t say no. And I’m embarrassed, and that’s the truth.”
“I still like being in the movie, but it may not have been the best idea,” he said.
