Scream star Matthew Lillard has reflected on his return to the franchise in Scream 7, admitting he now feels “ashamed” to have appeared in the movie. He told fans at a Q&A recently that this is because he didn’t take a stand when Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Lillard shared the insight at a 30th anniversary screening of Scream. He was asked about speaking about issues as a public figure when he told audiences that he doesn’t “know how else to do it.” He then pointed to his regrets over Barrera’s exit from Scream 7. She was removed by production company Spyglass Entertainment after sharing support for Palestine on social media.
“When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up,” he said, before adding: “I went back to do Scream, and I got called out. And I’m like, ‘Oh, fuck. That’s brutal,’ 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.”
He continued: “I’m embarrassed, that’s the truth. I blew that. 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 appeared in Scream 7 as (spoiler alert) a deepfake Stu Macher, 30 years after he last played the role. It’s not clear whether he’ll come back for Scream 8, but given his recent comments, it feels unlikely.
For more on the franchise, check out our guide to the best Scream movies, ranked.
