Although Jenna Ortega has taken on a variety of roles throughout her acting career, she’s most recognized for her work in the horror genre, particularly for portraying Tara Carpenter in the slasher hits Scream and Scream VI. Sadly, the talented actress decided to exit the horror franchise back in 2023, leaving fans shocked and speculating about the true reason behind her departure. Well, the speculations can stop now because the actress herself has finally come forward and set the record straight, revealing exactly why she stepped away.
In November 2023, news broke that Spyglass Media Group had fired Melissa Barrera from her role as Sam Carpenter in the Scream franchise, following comments she made on social media regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Barrera played Ortega's character's older sister in the horror films. Shortly after her dismissal, it was reported that Ortega had left the franchise. At the time, several speculations emerged regarding the reasons for Ortega’s exit, including her solidarity with Barrera, a potential salary dispute, and scheduling conflicts with Wednesday season 2. Now, we have the real reason.
In a new interview with The Cut, Ortega spoke about her departure and said that it was never about a salary dispute or scheduling conflicts with another project she was working on, which was speculated by the media. She mentions that by the time she decided to exit the franchise, the directors of Scream and Scream VI, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, had already left the project. Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin were to direct Scream 7 but had to exit the project due to scheduling issues with their vampire horror film Abigail. Ortega further elaborates that with the team she had grown attached to no longer involved, her continuation in the franchise didn’t feel like the right career move for her at that moment.
"It had nothing to do with pay or scheduling. 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.” - Jenna Ortega
Based on her comments, it seems that Barrera's firing also played a role in Ortega's decision to leave. When she mentions 'those people I fell in love with,' Ortega is likely referring to the strong connections she formed with her co-stars and the filmmakers, including Barrera.
While Scream 7 will not see the return of Ortega as Tara and Barrera as Sam, fans will see Neve Campbell come back as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin, and Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin. We can also expect appearances from other OG Scream cast members such as Matthew Lillard, Scott Foley, and David Arquette. New cast members to the franchise for the seventh film include Isabel May, Joel McHale, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Mark Consuelos, Anna Camp, Ethan Embry, Michelle Randolph, and Jimmy Tatro.
Kevin Williamson directed the slasher from a screenplay written by Guy Busick. Paramount Pictures is set to release Scream 7 in theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.
Stay tuned to 1428 Elm as we will be sharing the official trailer for Scream 7 once it is released!