Ruffalo Warns Paramount Skydance Merger Presents ‘Serious Threat to Editorial Freedom and Job Losses’

By Zoe Papadakis | Monday, 24 August 2026 12:45 PM EDT

Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo has responded to Paramount Skydance’s accusation that he used “antisemitic tropes” in his efforts to block its proposed $111 billion merger with Warner Bros.

Ruffalo centered his objections on the funding of the acquisition, noting that Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is financing the multibillion-dollar bid led by his son, Paramount CEO David Ellison. He shared video footage of Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz describing advanced technological support provided to Israel following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks.

Ruffalo cited Oracle’s decades-long history of providing software to Israeli police, defense officials, and military entities. He expressed concern that these tools would fall under the control of a massive media conglomerate. The actor also urged public opposition to the merger, warning it would devastate industry employment and stifle competition.

Paramount Skydance issued a statement criticizing Ruffalo’s characterization of the transaction: “Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong—they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe.” The Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center endorsed Paramount’s response, commending the company for “refusing to allow prejudice to masquerade as political or corporate criticism.”

Ruffalo rejected the allegations, stating his criticism focused on corporate accountability rather than religious identity. “The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” he wrote. “Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.”

Disputing assertions of anti-Jewish sentiment, Ruffalo emphasized his activism stems from personal beliefs and longstanding relationships with Jewish colleagues and loved ones. He maintained that public oversight of major corporate transactions is essential. “This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country,” he added.

The actor described scrutinizing the Ellisons as “fair and necessary,” citing concerns about Oracle’s history with data surveillance and government contracts. He warned the transaction poses a “serious threat to editorial freedom” alongside massive job losses. “The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros.,” Ruffalo stated, noting the bid is backed by foreign money whose influence has “never been fully explained to the public.”

The proposed merger would consolidate assets including HBO Max, CNN, CBS, and Paramount+, creating a single media entity from two legacy Hollywood studios. Federal antitrust regulators cleared the deal in June but it remains stalled by a lawsuit filed by 12 states. Paramount Skydance faces daily penalties of $7 million payable to WBD shareholders if the transaction isn’t finalized by September 30.

Paramount stated it will make no further comment on the matter.