Hollywood producers' group condemns Mark Ruffano's comments as antisemitic
The Brigade, a coalition of nearly 1,000 entertainment industry members, denounced actor Mark Ruffalo's criticism of Paramount's leadership as employing antisemitic tropes, while the actor rejected the accusation.
A coalition of Hollywood producers and industry figures calling itself The Brigade issued a statement on Tuesday condemning actor Mark Ruffalo’s recent criticism of Paramount’s leadership as invoking antisemitic stereotypes. The group, which includes producers Haim Saban, Lawrence Bender and Teddy Schwarzman, said Ruffalo’s Instagram post singled out Jewish executives and framed the discussion of Paramount’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery in terms associated with historic conspiracy theories.
The Brigade’s statement read, “Singling out Jewish executives and describing them in terms lifted from centuries-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, while invoking Israel as the frame for that attack, is antisemitic.” It added that introducing Jews, anti-Zionism or antisemitism into business debates is unacceptable and warned that such rhetoric fuels real-world threats to the Jewish community.
Ruffalo’s August 21 Instagram post highlighted Oracle’s connections to the Israeli military and criticized Larry Ellison, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, for backing the merger. In response, a Paramount spokesperson called for a calmer debate and labeled the actor’s remarks antisemitic. Ruffalo replied on X that the accusation was “appalling and fundamentally dishonest.”
The Brigade’s condemnation aligns with statements from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. However, actress Hannah Einbinder, who starred in the series Hacks, described the antisemitism claims as “ludicrous” and urged more support for Ruffalo’s stance.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions in Hollywood over the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal and broader debates about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.