Matthew Lillard is opening up about his decision to return to the Scream franchise following Melissa Barrera‘s firing.
The 56-year-old actor, who originated the role of Stu Macher in the 1996 movie and returned for Scream 7, admitted during a recent Q&A that he now feels “ashamed” about coming back to the franchise.
Melissa was fired from the seventh movie in late 2023 after sharing social media posts about Israel and Palestine. Production company Spyglass Media Group said at the time that it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form,” while Melissa later condemned antisemitism and defended her decision to continue speaking out about issues she cared about.
During a Q&A at a Scream 30th anniversary screening, Matthew was asked about the difficulty of speaking out on controversial issues as a public figure.
Matthew Lillard Reflects on Melissa Barrera’s Scream 7 Firing
He brought up Melissa‘s firing and said he believes she was treated unfairly.
Matthew then reflected on Hollywood’s response at the time, saying more people should have publicly supported her.
“When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up,” he said in fan footage captured from the event. “The whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”
He then admitted that he regrets not thinking more about Melissa before agreeing to return for Scream 7.
Matthew Lillard Says He Feels “Ashamed” About His Scream 7 Return
“I went back to do Scream, and I got called out,” he said. “I feel bad about that. I feel ashamed about that. Because in that moment I was so excited to go back, I didn’t really think about Melissa and that journey. I didn’t say no.”
Why Matthew Lillard Says “I Blew That”
“I’m embarrassed, that’s the truth… I blew that. I’m on the wrong side of history for that. I still like being in the movie [but] it may not have been the best idea,” he added.
Melissa starred as Sam Carpenter in 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI before being dropped from the seventh movie.
Her firing was followed by several other major changes behind the scenes, including Jenna Ortega leaving the project and director Christopher Landon exiting. The movie was later reworked around Neve Campbell‘s Sidney Prescott.
Scream 8 has already been confirmed. Here’s who we know is attached to that project so far.
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