Melissa Barrera reflects on Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour

Actress and singer Melissa Barrera has spoken out about Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” over his pro-Palestine comments, reflecting on the support the rapper received and drawing parallels with her own dismissal from the “Scream” franchise.

Nearly a week after Macklemore was dropped from the tour, Barrera said she was moved by the solidarity shown by Sheeran’s backing band and the supporting acts, who subsequently withdrew from the tour.

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Barrera said the response brought her to tears, particularly the support shown by Finneas and the other performers. Reflecting on her own experience, she noted that she had not received the same level of public support when she faced a similar situation.

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In 2023, Barrera was dropped from “Scream VII” after publicly expressing support for Palestine and criticising Israel on social media. Although some of her co-stars and publicists stood by her, the actress said she felt that people were “too scared” to speak out at the time.

She added that it was encouraging to see how attitudes had changed nearly three years later.

Addressing the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s departure, Barrera also questioned whether Sheeran could have taken a stronger stand against the decision.

Macklemore had previously alleged that billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, who owned one of the concert venues, had pressured other venue owners to remove him from the tour or risk losing their stadium bookings.

Sheeran, meanwhile, maintained that the decision to remove Macklemore had been made by the tour promoters rather than by him.

Reflecting on Sheeran’s response, Barrera wondered what might have happened had the singer refused to comply with the decision. She suggested that although the tour might have been cancelled, he could potentially have secured alternative venues.

The actress also expressed her wish that people in positions of power would recognise their influence and use it to support others.

Barrera was originally set to reprise her role as Sam Carpenter in “Scream VII” before being dropped from the project during pre-production.

Following her dismissal, Spyglass Media Group, the studio behind the film, issued a statement saying it had “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate”.

The decision followed Barrera’s social media posts about the conflict in Gaza, including one in which she accused Israel of committing “genocide and ethnic cleansing”.

Responding to the studio’s statement, Barrera said she opposed antisemitism, Islamophobia, hatred and discrimination against any group.

More recently, actor Matthew Lillard, who has appeared in several instalments of the “Scream” franchise, expressed regret over his involvement in the seventh film following Barrera’s dismissal.

Lillard said he was initially excited about returning to the franchise and had not considered Barrera’s firing when he accepted the offer.

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Ed Sheeran calls Israel's treatment of Gazans 'unjustifiable', apologises for Macklemore controversy

Looking back, he acknowledged that he had not turned down the role and said he felt embarrassed about his decision. He also expressed support for Barrera, saying he believed she was “on the right side of history”.