Paramount Condemns Ruffalo’s Rhetoric in Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Dispute as Antisemitic

Paramount issued a statement Saturday objecting to remarks made by actor Mark Ruffalo regarding the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery merger, asserting that the Marvel performer had resorted to language carrying antisemitic undertones in his criticism of a straightforward corporate transaction. The studio characterized Ruffalo’s invocation of the Israel-Gaza conflict as inappropriate and inflammatory within the context of a business dispute.

In a response provided to media outlets, Paramount’s representatives stated the company finds it troubling when “antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute.” The company further noted that applying terms such as “genocide” and “apartheid” to a corporate arrangement crosses a line and diminishes the significance of actual human suffering those words describe.

Ruffalo’s posts on Instagram targeted Larry Ellison and Oracle Corporation, which is funding his son David’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Ruffalo referenced remarks attributed to Paramount board member Safra Catz about Oracle’s technology assistance to the Israeli military following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, tying the merger to what he characterized as a genocide built upon an apartheid system.

The actor also argued that the merger would consolidate power among a small group of wealthy elites and harm the entertainment industry, citing claims that 4,500 filmmaking jobs and 10,000 related positions could be eliminated. Twelve state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed transaction. Paramount representatives did not immediately receive comment from Ruffalo’s team when reached for his response to the company’s accusations.