Matthew Lillard Says He’s “Ashamed” He Returned for SCREAM 7 After Melissa Barrera Was Fired

Matthew Lillard finally made his long-awaited return as Stu Macher in Scream 7, but the actor now says his excitement over stepping back into the franchise kept him from seriously considering the circumstances surrounding Melissa Barrera’s firing. Looking back, Lillard says he feels “ashamed” and “embarrassed” that he agreed to appear in the movie.

Lillard originally played Stu in Wes Craven’s 1996 horror classic Scream and reprised the role in Scream 7. The sequel opened in February and went on to become the highest-grossing installment in the franchise with $214 million worldwide.

During a recent Q&A celebrating the 30th anniversary of Scream, a fan asked Lillard about the challenges actors face when publicly discussing political and social issues. Lillard, who attracted attention last year after saying “fuck ICE” at another Scream screening, explained why he feels compelled to speak publicly about certain issues.

“I don’t know how else to do it,” Lillard told the fan. “For me, I have queer kids. If I’m not standing up for queer kids or kids in the trans community, then what the f-ck am I doing? If I’m not standing up against ICE, then what the f-ck am I doing?”

Lillard acknowledged that speaking publicly can come with professional consequences, and he pointed to Barrera’s experience with the Scream franchise. Barrera starred as Sam Carpenter in Scream and Scream VI before Spyglass Media Group fired her in 2023 following social media posts about Israel and Gaza.

At the time, Spyglass said it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.” Barrera had criticized Israel on Instagram and accused the country of “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”

Lillard made clear that he disagrees with how Barrera’s firing was handled and believes she was right to speak out.

“Melissa Barrera, who’s a beautiful actor, was fired for what she said after the whole Palestinian — what started happening in Israel,” Lillard said. “It’s really fucking bullshit and really hard, and she’s on the right side of history. When they start coming after your job, sometimes things are worth it…

“When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up. But she was a year early on what the fuck’s going on. But the whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”

The actor then turned the criticism toward himself. When the opportunity arrived to bring Stu Macher back, Lillard says he was caught up in the excitement of returning to Scream and didn’t fully consider Barrera’s situation before accepting the role.

“I went back to do ‘Scream,’ and I got called out. And I’m like, ‘Oh, f-ck. That’s brutal,’ 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. 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.”

Barrera’s firing became a major point of controversy surrounding Scream 7. Supporters criticized Spyglass’ decision, and protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles premiere in February calling for a boycott of the film and expressing support for Palestine. Variety reported that roughly 25 demonstrators gathered outside the Paramount Studios lot with flags, drums and bullhorns.

Lillard isn’t distancing himself from Scream 7 itself. He says he still likes being part of the movie and clearly enjoyed getting another shot at Stu Macher. His regret is focused on the decision he made when he agreed to return and what he now believes he failed to consider at the time.

For a comeback that Scream fans waited nearly 30 years to see, that makes Lillard’s feelings about returning considerably more complicated.

Source: Variety