After tweets favoring Palestine resurface, Jenna Ortega is met with criticism and demands that she be taken off the forthcoming Scream VII lineup.
After rediscovering some of her tweets supporting Palestine, actress Jenna Ortega found herself in the middle of a social media maelstrom. Fans are now requesting that Ortega be removed from the next Scream VII, mimicking the removal of actress Melissa Barrera for similar reasons, as the Israel-Hamas crisis continues to create disputes.
The situation was brought to light on social media by user @Captainhorizon7, who said, “Wait till they find out Jenna Ortega also supported Palestine and is practically their money maker right now.” With over a million views in a short period of time, the tweet garnered popularity and sparked a lot of conversation over Ortega’s part in the renowned film series.
Another person expressed similar feelings when they said, “I’m hoping Jenna Ortega leaves Scream 7.” They need her, but she doesn’t need that movie. The only explanation for the strong box office performance was her.
JENNA ORTEGA SHOULD LEAVE SCREAM 7 TO MAKE THE FRANCHISE BANKRUPT HOW CAN THEY FIRE MELISSA BARRERA FOR SUPPORTING PALESTINE AND CALL IT ANTISEMETIC?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/WSmE2hpBdJ
— nty. (@RateelHater) November 22, 2023
Me at Jenna Ortega’s door right now cause I need her to drop out of Scream pic.twitter.com/fGFQVqse9L
— 🟣XΞPHIROX🟢 (@XephiroX_) November 22, 2023
Controversy has erupted over Ortega’s 2022 tweets supporting conflict-ridden nations, such as Palestine. People on the internet are literally forcing the actress to quit the Scream series in support of Barrera, even though her Twitter account has been removed. It’s widely speculated that Ortega’s fame keeps her from being fired, which has split supporters’ opinions.
Because of her pro-Palestine standing, Ortega was accused of antisemitism earlier this year. The Times of Israel linked Jenna Ortega’s inflammatory tweets to those of Kanye West in a story titled “Jenna Ortega vs. Kanye: Whose antisemitic hate is worse?”.The article called Ortega’s comments “well-intentioned but uninformed,” implying that he didn’t know what antisemitism was.
Despite not responding to Ortega’s tweets, Scream seven director Christopher Landon revealed Barrera’s dismissal with a curious tweet that read, “This is my statement: Everything sucks.” Put an end to your shouting. I did not decide to do this.” The production company for the film, Spyglass Media, has not made a public remark on Barrera’s sacking.
Star cast of Scream
Original cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette returned for the 2022 Scream revival, and new actors Mason Gooding Jr. and Jasmine Savoy Brown were introduced. Neve Campbell decided not to return for Scream 7 because of a financial issue.
Despite these obstacles, directors Tyler Gillet and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin are optimistic about Campbell’s continued participation in the series. The characters portrayed by Ortega and Barrera came out on top at the film’s conclusion, having resolved their differences and faced the Ghostface killer head-on.
