Matthew Lillard has opened up about his decision to return to Scream 7 this year following Melissa Barrera’s controversial dismissal in 2023. During a recent 30th anniversary screening of the original Scream, Lillard responded to a fan’s question about the challenges actors face when speaking out on political issues.
During the film’s February premiere, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Paramount Studios, calling for a boycott in support of Barrera. And I was like, ‘…that’s brutal. I feel bad about that, I feel shame about that. He continued and spoke about Barrera’s firing. “But if I’m not standing up about the silencing of Melissa Barrera—listen, I don’t think it’s easy all the time.
Similar campaigns had also followed the release of the film’s first trailer in late 2025.
Lillard said, “I went back to do Scream, and I got called out. Melissa Barrera, who’s a beautiful actor, was fired for what she said. It’s really fucking bullshit and really hard, and she’s on the right side of history,” he said.
The actor, who reprised his role as Stu Macher in Scream 7, said he was excited to return to the franchise but later realised many fans viewed his participation differently. Director of Scream 7, Christopher Landon , had also responded to the firing at the time and later departed the project. “I feel bad about that. In an X post, he wrote, “This is my statement: Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make. Barrera’s departure led to major changes behind the scenes. Jenna Ortega, who starred alongside Barrera in the rebooted films, also exited the project.
Lillard said Barrera was “on the right side of history” and acknowledged he did not fully consider the implications of joining the sequel after her exit. I feel shame about that,” he said. He added that he “didn’t say no” when offered the role. The comments from Lillard come amid Macklemore’s firing from Ed Sheeran’s concert openings after using the “Free Palestine” slogan during his performance. Ortega later said the film was “falling apart” after Barrera left.
