Matthew Lillard, who reprised his role in Scream 7, has stated he felt "ashamed" and "embarrassed" to return to the franchise after Melissa Barrera's firing. Barrera was dismissed from the horror series in November 2023 by production company Spyglass after she posted criticisms of Israel's war on Gaza on Instagram, describing the situation as "genocide and ethnic cleansing."
Lillard, who played Stu Macher in the original 1996 film, made his comments at a screening marking the film's 30th anniversary. He acknowledged that speaking out could have serious professional consequences, stating that Barrera was "on the right side of history." Spyglass had stated it had "zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form," including what it called "false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion."
Following Barrera's exit, co-star Jenna Ortega and director Christopher Landon also left the production. Scream 7 was subsequently rebuilt around Neve Campbell's character, Sidney Prescott, with Kevin Williamson taking over as director. The film reunited Campbell with returning cast members including Courteney Cox and Lillard, and ultimately became the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Barrera stated in a November 2024 interview that acting work had largely diminished after her firing.