Mark Ruffalo has responded to Paramount's claim that his criticism of the upcoming $110 billion (£83 billion) merger with Warner Bros. Discovery was anti-Semitic. The actor described the accusation as "appalling and fundamentally dishonest."
Ruffalo has been a vocal critic of the deal, which would see Paramount Skydance acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. He previously accused Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, of "powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world."
His criticism included sharing a clip of a Paramount board member discussing Oracle's technology use with the Israeli military. Ruffalo likened Larry Ellison to a "classic oligarch" and argued that the merger poses a "serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families."
Following Ruffalo's initial comments, a Paramount spokesperson told Variety that the company was "troubled when anti-Semitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute." Ruffalo then took to X, stating that criticising the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or its suppliers is not equivalent to criticising Jewish people.
The US Justice Department approved the merger in June, despite industry backlash. However, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery have agreed to pause the merger until June 2027 while a judge considers an antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 attorneys general.