Matthew Lillard Feels ‘Embarrassed’ About Scream 7 Role After Melissa Barrera Firing Fallout

After returning to the Scream franchise earlier this year, Matthew Lillard has opened up about regretting his decision. The Scream 7 star, who reprised the role of Stu Macher from the first film, admitted he feels “ashamed” for appearing in it. The admission comes on the heels of Melissa Barrera’s firing from the franchise in 2023.

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Lillard got candid about his feelings regarding the franchise in a Q&A session following Scream’s 30th anniversary screening this week. “Melissa Barrera, who’s a beautiful actor, was fired for what she said after the whole Palestinian, what started happening in Israel,” he said. “It’s really f—— bulls— and really hard, and she’s on the right side of history.”

Lillard was referring to Barrerra’s public comments about supporting Palestine and criticizing Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict. The actress was subsequently fired from Scream 7 for doing so.

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

Matthew Lillard’s Scream comments come amid a wider conversation about speaking out

In his response, Lillard also commented on the complicated feelings he has over navigating the difficulties of commenting on political issues as a public figure. “I’m embarrassed, that’s the truth… I blew that,” he admitted. “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.”

Lillard first appeared in the franchise in the 1996 original slasher. He played Stu Macher, who was revealed to be one of the two Ghostface killers in an iconic twist. While his character was killed, he returned in Scream 7 to once again torment Sidney Prescott.

In the latest film, his character was resurrected as a fake, digital creation. A deleted alternate ending would have revealed that his character really was alive, but it never saw the light of the day.

Despite mixed critical reviews and widespread controversy, Scream 7 became the highest-grossing installment in the franchise, collecting $214 million worldwide before transitioning to streaming platforms. A sequel, Scream 8, is now confirmed to be in development with no set release date.

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