Jenna Ortega Opens Up About Leaving Scream 7
Jenna Ortega is making things clear about her departure from Scream 7 which has nothing to do with money or scheduling conflicts as some critics assumed.
Ortega, who portrayed Tara Carpenter in Scream 5 and Scream 6, confirmed her exit from the franchise in 2023, shortly after news that her co-star Melissa Barrera had been fired. At the time, fans speculated Ortega’s departure was due to filming Wednesday Season 2 in Ireland following the SAG-AFTRA strikes. However, Ortega is now telling a different story.
“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega stated. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all falling apart.”
This the solidarity the film industry needs
— Okiro (@TheFirstOkiro) April 7, 2025
Good on Jenna Ortega for standing by Melissa Barrera https://t.co/NCO87N2WRa pic.twitter.com/Q3z3COOoA0
Production company Spyglass Entertainment fired Barrera over pro-Palestinian social media posts that were labeled antisemitic. Her firing came amid a wave of creative shake-ups. Directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who had successfully rebooted the franchise with Scream 5 and 6, had already exited the project. Their replacement, Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon, also walked away from the project not long after Barrera’s firing. He called the situation a “dream job that turned into a nightmare.”
For Ortega, the decision to leave wasn’t made lightly but without the original creative team and her on-screen sister Barrera, it no longer felt like the right fit. “If Scream 7 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 stated.
Now, Ortega is focusing on new projects, including A24’s Death of a Unicorn, and returning to her breakout role on Wednesday. She is one of Hollywood’s most pursued stars who is praised for her versatility and bold character choices. With a fan base that is continually growing, her influence on pop culture continues to grow across multiple genres.
Meanwhile, Scream 7 will see the return of original cast members Neve Campbell and Matthew Lillard, with series screenwriter Kevin Williamson stepping in to direct. Despite the shake-up, Barrera still shares a deep respect for her time in the franchise and for Ortega, whom she calls “family for life.”
Incredibly based. Sad to see it happen as I enjoyed the new Scream series but glad to see Jenna support Melissa Barrera.
— Dan (@billywangers) April 7, 2025
Jenna Ortega has always been based. https://t.co/Sxag7iA8M0 pic.twitter.com/ZrhOKVIO9M
