Mark Ruffalo has hit back at Paramount after the company accused the actor of invoking “antisemitic tropes” in his criticism of the proposed merger involving Paramount and Warner Bros.
Variety reported that Ruffalo rejected the accusation, calling it “appalling and fundamentally dishonest”. In a post on X, he said criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, military technology contracts or executives involved in such deals should not be equated with hostility towards Jewish people.
Ruffalo said his views come from his political convictions and stressed that he has “deep love and respect” for Jewish people. He also said Jewish friends, colleagues and loved ones have profoundly shaped his understanding of acting, activism and humanism.
The actor later shared a video of Paramount board member Safra Catz discussing technologies used by Oracle to assist the Israeli military after the 7 October terror attack. Ruffalo described David Ellison as a “classic oligarch” and warned about the possible consequences of the Paramount-Warner Bros merger.
“This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country,” Ruffalo wrote. He argued that scrutiny of the Ellison family, Oracle’s data and surveillance technology business, government contracts and potential threats to editorial freedom was “fair and necessary”.
Ruffalo also raised concerns about the reported $111 billion deal. He said it could give one family control of CNN, HBO and Warner Bros, while alleging that foreign financial backing could influence editorial decisions without sufficient public explanation.
Paramount responded after Ruffalo’s initial comments. A company spokesperson said it was “troubled” by what it described as antisemitic tropes being used in a business dispute.
The spokesperson also criticised Ruffalo’s use of terms such as “genocide” and “apartheid” in relation to the corporate transaction, calling the language inappropriate and disrespectful to those who have experienced such suffering.
Paramount said it does not tolerate prejudice against anyone.
