Jenna Ortega, 21, appeared to like a post that supported her previous Scream co-star Melissa Barrera‘s pro-Palestine stance amid the Israel-Hamas war. The actress revealed she was quitting the horror franchise after it was revealed Melissa, 33, was fired from the it for her stance, and a new screenshot, captured by TMZ, seems to show that she liked a post from an Instagram account supporting celebrities in favor of Palestine. The post promoted Melissa’s words when she defended her stance after she was fired from the next Scream installment.
Despite the screenshot, Jenna’s alleged like is gone from her own Instagram page. Her Twitter account has also been deactivated, but some of her alleged old tweets have resurfaced and they include pro-Palestine comments. Although Jenna herself hasn’t publicly come out in support of Melissa or Palestine, many believe her sudden exit from the Scream franchise was her way of quietly showing support for her co-star.
Shortly after the news of Melissa’s firing went public, it was reported that Jenna had also parted ways with Scream 7. Deadline reported that her departure had nothing to do with Melissa’s firing and was being discussed prior to the actors’ strike in July 2023 due to Jenna’s hectic schedule. In April 2024, she plans to head to Ireland to film Wednesday season 2 and filming is expected to last until the summer.
Plans for the seventh installment of Scream was announced in August 2023. It is set to be directed by Christopher Landon. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directed the previous two installments, including Scream 5, which was known simply as Scream, and Scream 6. Both films starred Jenna and Melissa in main roles.
When defending her stance after the firing, Melissa said that she condemns “Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia” and “hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
“As a Latina, a proud Mexicana,” she continued, “I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need. Every person on the earth — regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic status — deserves equal human rights, dignity and, of course, freedom. I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism.”
She further explained that she prays “day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence” and said she “will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. She concluded with, “Silence is not an option for me.”