Jenna Ortega will not be returning to the Scream franchise. This news came just one day after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the franchise over her stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. But, Deadline reports Ortega’s decision is not connected to Barrera’s firing. (Hmmmmm.)

Deadline reports the actress’s exit from the franchise was originally discussed before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. (Hmmmmm.) The filming schedule for Wednesday Season 2 has not been confirmed yet but Ortega is expected to travel to Ireland in 2024 to begin production. She is also still in the final days of filming Tim Burton’s upcoming Beetlejuice sequel, which was put on pause during the SAG-AFTRA strike.

A script for Scream VII is not ready yet, according to reports.

Barrera and Ortega played the Carpenter sisters in Scream V and Scream VI, where they starred alongside the franchise’s original actors. Their performances proved to be a big draw for audiences.

After Barrera shared posts on social media in support of Palestine, the actress was fired from the franchise by the movie’s production company, Spyglass.

A spokesperson for the company said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”

After news broke of Barrera’s firing, Scream VII director Christopher Landon wrote on X in a since-deleted post, “This is my statement: ???? Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”

Barrera and Ortega aren’t the only actresses who will not be returning to the franchise. Neve Campbell, who starred in the original franchise, will also not be returning for the new installment after she exited the series over an ongoing salary dispute.

She announced her decision in June 2022, saying “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”