(Image source: Paramount Pictures)
The "Scream" franchise has been embroiled in controversy in recent years, largely stemming from Melissa Barrera, the lead actress in the fifth and sixth installments. Spyglass Media Group, the production company, removed her from the seventh film, preventing her return, due to her public support for Palestine and condemnation of Israel's actions. This dismissal triggered a series of domino effects: Jenna Ortega, who played Barrera's on-screen sister, withdrew from the project in solidarity, and the originally slated director, Christopher Landon, also exited the film after receiving death threats from fans protesting Barrera's firing.
(Image source: Esquire)
Barrera's departure ultimately led to a major shake-up for the seventh installment, with many original cast and crew members brought back to salvage the project. Matthew Lillard, who played the original Ghostface killer "Stu" in the first film, was among them. However, Lillard now expresses shame about returning under those circumstances.
Lillard, who recently attended a 30th-anniversary screening event for the first "Scream" film, admitted he understands the difficulties actors face when speaking publicly about politics and feels ashamed for being on the wrong side. He stated that Melissa Barrera is a beautiful actress, and her firing over the Palestinian issue – specifically for comments made after the situation in Israel escalated – was "ridiculous and sad," but she was "on the right side of history." He added that "when people start threatening your livelihood, you know there are things worth doing." Lillard lamented that when Melissa faced that situation, "nobody in the world stood up for her." He believes she realized what was happening a year before others. The world "should have come out and said, 'She's right,' but they didn't, which is brutal." Lillard recalled being called out when he returned for "Scream," thinking, "Oh my God, that's brutal." He felt "sad and ashamed" because he was "so happy to go back to work" that he "didn't think about Melissa and what she went through." He confessed, "I didn't say no, and I'm ashamed of that now... I messed up. I was on the wrong side of history because of it." While he still loves being part of the film, he believes choosing to participate "was probably not a good idea."