Mark Ruffalo Rejects Paramount Skydance's Antisemitism Claim Over Merger Criticism

Actor Mark Ruffalo has denied Paramount Global’s claim that his criticism of the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger is antisemitic. Ruffalo said the allegation is "appalling and fundamentally dishonest" and stressed that questioning the actions of Israeli officials or technology contracts is not equivalent to criticizing Jewish people.

The controversy began after Ruffalo reshared a post from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement that featured Oracle executive Safra Catz describing the company’s support for the Israeli military following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The post accused Oracle of being "complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity," prompting Ruffalo to target Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who backs his son David Ellison’s bid to acquire Paramount through Skydance Media.

Ruffalo argued that the merger, valued at $111 billion, would concentrate control of major media outlets such as CNN, HBO and Warner Bros. in a single family, potentially harming editorial independence, reducing competition and causing job losses. He urged the public to oppose the deal, saying it would have "real consequences for real people."

Paramount responded that it is "troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute," adding that words like "genocide" and "apartheid" are inappropriate when describing a corporate transaction. The company said it does not tolerate any form of prejudice.

The merger remains on hold pending a federal judge’s review of an antitrust lawsuit filed by a coalition of state attorneys general. Paramount declined further comment.

Ruffalo, a longtime critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, has previously apologized for using the term "genocide" to describe the conflict, acknowledging it could fuel antisemitism. His recent statements reflect an intensified focus on the potential impact of the media deal on the film industry and public discourse.