Matthew Lillard says he feels ashamed for joining Scream 7 after Melissa Barrera firing
Matthew Lillard says he feels "ashamed" to have joined "Scream 7" after Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise.
The actor made the remarks at a recent 30th anniversary screening of the original "Scream", after an audience member asked about actors speaking out on politics, according to Variety. The comments were reported on 16 September 2026.
Lillard played Stu Macher in Wes Craven's original "Scream" in 1996. He reprised the role in "Scream 7", which opened in theatres in February.
He told the audience he had been excited to return and had not thought about Barrera at the time. He did not say no. Now he feels embarrassed.
"I am on the wrong side of history for doing it," Lillard said. He added that he still likes being in the film, but said it "may not have been the best idea".
Lillard was blunt about Barrera's exit. He described her as being "on the right side of history" and called her firing "bullshit", Variety reported.
Barrera had starred in two "Scream" instalments and was set to return for "Scream 7" before franchise producer Spyglass dropped her. Spyglass said it had "zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form".
The firing followed Instagram posts in which Barrera criticised Israel during the war in Gaza and accused Israel of "genocide and ethnic cleansing".
"Scream 7" went on to earn US$214 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing entry in the series, according to Variety. Its premiere in Los Angeles drew protesters calling for a boycott of the film in support of Palestine.
What makes this stand out is the source. Lillard is not an outside critic. He is one of the faces of the original film, and he is now questioning his own decision to come back.
