Scream Star Regrets Role Amidst Controversy Over Actress's Firing

Actor Matthew Lillard, known for his role in the original "Scream" film, has expressed regret over his decision to join "Scream 7." His decision came after actress Melissa Barrera was fired from the film due to her controversial social media posts regarding Israel and the war in Gaza.

Lillard, who played Stu Macher in the 1996 "Scream" and reprised his role in the seventh installment, spoke about the controversy during an event celebrating the original film's 30th anniversary. Barrera, who starred in the 2022 "Scream" and its sequel, was slated to return for "Scream 7." However, in November 2023, production company Spyglass terminated her contract following a series of posts where she criticized Israel and described the events in Gaza as "genocide and ethnic cleansing."

Spyglass stated at the time that the company has "zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate speech in any form," and addressed what it called "false references to genocide and ethnic cleansing."

Lillard now unequivocally supports Barrera, stating she was "on the right side of history" and that the world should have supported her. He admitted he regrets not refusing to participate in the film, saying, "I feel bad about that, I'm ashamed of that. I was so excited to get back in, I didn't think about Melissa and what she was going through. I didn't say no. I messed up. I was on the wrong side of history on this one."

Barrera's departure triggered further upheaval in the production. Shortly after, Jenna Ortega also exited the film, followed by director Christopher Landon. The film has since been reconfigured around original "Scream" star Neve Campbell and has become the highest-grossing film in the franchise's history.