Melissa Barrera agrees in the recent interview with Variety that actors returning for Scream 7 are crossing the picket line, after she was fired from the hit franchise.

Speaking in the recent interview with Variety, the Scream star reflected on being fired from the franchise for raising her voice over the Middle Eastern conflict.

During the interview, the question raised that even though Jenna Ortega and the director dropped out of the series, there are still actors returning for the series, so is it “scabby” and are they “crossing the picket line?”

“Oh, one hundred percent,” Barrera agreed. “I think they all are. And they have to live with that. The only way they were able to make that movie after what happened was to nostalgia-bait as much as possible.”

Reports in 2023 indicated that Barrera was dropped from Scream 7 following comments she made regarding the Israel–Hamas war. 

Shortly afterwards, Ortega, who played her on-screen sister in the previous two films, also exited the project.

In 2025, Ortega addressed her departure, clarifying it was not linked to pay or scheduling conflicts, but instead said the production was “all kind of falling apart” behind the scenes.