“It Had Nothing to Do with Pay or Schedule” — Jenna Ortega Opens Up About Exiting “Scream” Franchise

American actress Jenna Ortega has addressed her departure from the “Scream” franchise, clarifying that it had nothing to do with money or scheduling, as previously speculated.

In an interview with The Cut published on April 7, the 21-year-old star, who played Tara Carpenter in the 2022 reboot and its 2023 sequel “Scream VI,” revealed that her decision to step away came after co-star Melissa Barrera was removed from the upcoming “Scream VII.”

Barrera was dismissed in 2023 following social media posts expressing support for Palestine and criticising Israel’s actions at the time.

“It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling,” Ortega said. “The Melissa stuff was happening, and it was all kind of falling apart. If ‘Scream VII’ wasn’t going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn’t seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.”

Ortega also shared that she’s now focused on pursuing original stories and working with visionary directors, rather than remaining tied to existing franchises.