Melissa Barrera Cut from Next ‘Scream’ Sequel Due to Social Media Posts

Melissa Barrera won’t be back for the next Scream sequel.

The actress, 33, will no longer star in the horror franchise’s upcoming seventh installment after she was quietly removed from the cast due to recent social media posts, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

Variety reported that insiders viewed Barrera’s comments as antisemitic when posting about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Spyglass, the studio behind Scream VII, had no comment. Reps for Barrera did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

In one written message from her Instagram Story quoted in the report and circulating social media after the news, Barrera allegedly wrote, “I have been actively looking for videos and information about the Palestinian side for the last 2 weeks or so, following accounts etc. Why? Because Western media only shows the other side. Why they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”

Barrera starred as Sam Carpenter in both 2022’s Scream and this year’s Scream VI. Her character was introduced as Scream villain Billy Loomis’ (Skeet Ulrich) daughter. The character was set to follow in the footsteps of Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott as the new franchise lead.

Barrera’s Sam is older sister to Tera, played by Jenna Ortega.

Along with Barrera and Ortega, the Scream VI cast included Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, legacy Scream member Courteney Cox and Scream IV‘s Hayden Panettiere. (Neve Campbell and David Arquette were also in the fifth Scream, though Campbell didn’t return for the sixth due to a contractual dispute.)

The seventh Scream is set to be directed by Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon. Landon is taking over from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett after their co-directing roles in both Scream (2022) and Scream VI.