"Scream 7": Jenna Ortega Opens Up About Leaving With Melissa Barrera

Which death bothered you most in the Scream series. For me as a Jamie Kennedy fan I thought the series lost its meta fourth wall breaker when Kennedy's Randy died in Scream 2.

In a recent interview with The Cut, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega candidly explained her decision to walk away from Scream VII following the controversial firing of co-star Melissa Barrera. The duo brought fresh life to the horror franchise with their portrayal of the Carpenter sisters in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), but Ortega made it clear that the departure wasn’t about contracts or timing — it was personal.

“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega said. “It was all kind of falling apart.”

Barrera was dropped from the film after making pro-Palestine social media posts, a move that sparked backlash among fans and fellow creatives. In solidarity and due to a shift in creative leadership, Ortega exited the project soon after.

Her decision was also rooted in the departure of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, with whom Ortega had formed a deep creative bond. “If Scream VII wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time,” she shared.

Despite her exit, Ortega's career is flourishing. She’s starring in the offbeat Death of a Unicorn, filming Wednesday Season 2, and joined the cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice under Tim Burton’s direction. Her focus now? Supporting original stories and emerging directors. “I’ve happened to join a lot of franchises… but for me, I’m really trying to prioritize new directors and original stories,” Ortega said.

While Scream VII moves forward with returning veterans like Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, Ortega’s departure marks a shift in the franchise’s direction — and a powerful statement about loyalty, vision, and artistic integrity.

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Source: The Wrap

Photo Credit: Paramount