NEWSMatthew Lillard Says He Feels 'Embarrassed' Over 'Scream 7' Return After Melissa Barrera Was Fired
Matthew Lillard reflected on his 'Scream 7' return after Melissa Barrera's departure from the franchise.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 4:44 a.m. ET
Matthew Lillard opened up about his return to Scream 7 after Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise.
Reflecting on his return, Lillard shared this during a recent Q&A video via TikTok, marking the 30th anniversary of the original Scream, and how he felt about the decision.
"And then I went back to do Scream, and I got called out. And I was like, 'Oh f---, that’s brutal.' I’m embarrassed, and that’s the truth," he said
Matthew Lillard spoke about his return to 'Scream 7' during a recent Q&A and reflected on Melissa Barrera being fired from the 'Scream' franchise.
He then addressed his return to the franchise following Barrera’s departure.
"I feel bad about that, I feel shame about that," he said.
Lillard looked back on what was going through his mind when he agreed to return.
"Because in that moment I was so excited to got back, I didn’t really think about Melissa and the journey, and I didn’t say ‘no.’" he revealed.
"It’s just human, it’s who we are… I don’t know what else to do," he added.
Lillard even expressed what motivates him to speak out.
"For me, I have queer kids, if I’m not standing up for queer kids or kids in the trans community, what the f--- am I doing?" he said.
Matthew Lillard Reflects On Melissa Barrera's Exit
Matthew Lillard called Melissa Barrera’s firing unfair and supported her stance.
Per The Guardian, Barrera was dropped from Scream 7 in November 2023 after Spyglass Media said some of her social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict crossed its stated standards on antisemitism and hate speech.
Barrera later condemned antisemitism and Islamophobia while saying she would continue speaking about human rights and peace.
Lillard said he believed Barrera deserved more support after losing her role.
"Melissa Barrera, who’s a beautiful actor, was fired for what she said. It’s really f------ b------- and really hard, and she’s on the right side of history," he said.
"But if I’m not standing up about the silencing of Melissa Barrera—listen, I don’t think it’s easy all the time," he added.
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Matthew Lillard shared his thoughts on Melissa Barrera’s experience after her departure from the 'Scream' franchise.
Lillard continued by sharing his thoughts on the situation.
"And when they start coming after your job, sometimes things are worth it," he said
"But I’m just gonna say, what happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up. She was like a year early on what the f---’s going on, but the whole world should have piped up and said, 'she’s right,' and they didn’t. And that’s brutal," he continued.
Lillard Returned As Stu Macher
Matthew Lillard reprised his role as Stu Macher in 'Scream 7.'
Per Deadline, Lillard originally played Stu Macher in the 1996 Scream before returning for Scream 7.
His casting was confirmed in January 2025, with the character's return becoming one of the film's major callbacks to the original movie.
The franchise went through several changes after Barrera's departure.
Jenna Ortega also exited the project, while director Christopher Landon stepped away.
Neve Campbell later returned as Sidney Prescott, with original Scream writer Kevin Williamson taking over directing duties.
