Melissa Barrera‘s representatives at WME and Sugar23 are considering terminating the actress as a client due to the actress’s recent social media remarks concerning the Israeli-Gaza conflict, which have once again drawn criticism.
The Reason That Caused the Hype Against Barrera
The actress from “In the Heights” and “Scream” earlier this week included a link in her bio on Instagram asking her fans to support “all the martyrs in Gaza and the West Bank” by making a financial donation to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Barrera posted the link one day after the Biden administration and several other nations withdrew aid to UNRWA due to shocking claims that 12 staff members, including two who participated in kidnappings, had a direct hand in the terror attacks that occurred in Israel on October 7.
Related: Russian Ties Made Milos Bikovic Leave From HBO’s “The White Lotus”!
This made the plea especially incendiary. There are rumors that 10% of the organization’s employees in Gaza are affiliated with Hamas and another Islamist militant group that the US has classified as a terrorist organization. The United States declared on January 28 that it would block all funds to the organization.
As soon as Barrera’s posts began to circulate throughout the industry, even WME consulted with outside counsel regarding the most effective way to terminate her employment, recognizing that a decision of this nature could incite opposition. (A WME representative denied the employment of external advisors.) The agency, according to sources, and her management firm, Sugar23, were on the verge of terminating her as a client. Both, however, decided to temporarily reverse course on Thursday. Both Sugar23 and WME declined to comment.
Related: Sam Waterston Leaves Law & Order After 400 Episodes, Being Replaced by Tony Goldwyn!
Barrera Faced Backlash in Past Times
Barrera was let go from “Scream VII” by Spyglass Media in November due to remarks Barrera made on social media on the conflict, including one in which she accused Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and of “distorting the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry.” Over the previous two years, Barrera had led the fifth and sixth “Scream” entries and was set to take the lead in the upcoming “Scream” release.
VME Continues to Serve Its Client
During a pro-Palestinian demonstration on Main Street that drew up to a hundred protestors, Barrera chanted the divisive phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during this month’s Sundance Film Festival. The American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League have deemed the slogan antisemitic and believe it poses a threat to Israel’s continued existence as a Jewish state. Despite complaints from clients and employees, WME has maintained the actress’s representation despite being aware of her provocative remarks, according to insiders.