Hayden Panettiere defends ‘Scream’ co-star Melissa Barrera after firing for pro-Palestine posts

Something to “Scream” about?

“Scream” actress Hayden Panettiere is defending her co-star Melissa Barrera after she was fired from the franchise late last year for her comments on the Israel-Hamas war.

In an interview with The Messenger, Panettiere said that it was “very unfair and upsetting” that Barrera was booted from the series.

“After she [spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right?” the actress, 34, declared.

“It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else,” she added.

Panettiere portrays Kirby Reed in the iconic horror series, while Barrera, 33, appeared as Samantha Carpenter.

Panettiere also revealed that she spoke to Barrera after she was fired — something the booted beauty was extremely grateful for.

“You know, a lot of people hadn’t really asked her how she felt,” Panettiere said.

“[Barrera is] a badass as a human being and as an actress,” she gushed. “She was hurt by [the firing], but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it.”

In November 2023, Barrera professed pro-Palestine sentiments on social media after conflict erupted between Israel and Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state.

Spyglass — the production company of “Scream” — swiftly dropped the actress from the upcoming seventh installment of the film franchise.

After her exit, Barrera released a statement. 

“First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people,” she wrote on her Instagram story.

“As a Latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need,” she went on.

Shortly after the Mexican actress left the series, her co-star Jenna Ortega and the director of “Scream 7” Christopher Landon also both left.

Ortega, 21, exited reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with her Netflix show “Wednesday.”

While filmmaker, 48, didn’t give a reason for his leave in December, he wrote on social media that the gig “was a dream job that turned into a nightmare.”

“And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on,” he added. “I have nothing more to add to the conversation.”