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Mark Ruffalo news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Mark Ruffalo criticized Paramount's $111 billion Warner Bros. merger, citing Oracle's Israel ties. Paramount accused him of antisemitic tropes; he denies, calling it dishonest.
Background
Paramount Skydance is attempting to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111 billion deal, facing antitrust lawsuits from 12 states. Actor Mark Ruffalo has been a vocal opponent, teaming up with attorney Norm Eisen to gather over 5,000 signatures against the merger, citing threats to the creative community and potential job losses. His recent comments linking the Ellison family's Oracle business to Israel's military actions in Gaza sparked a public dispute with Paramount.
How it unfolded
- Apr 2026Ruffalo and attorney Norm Eisen launched an open letter urging state officials to block the merger, accumulating over 5,000 signatures.
- Aug 21, 2026Ruffalo posted on Instagram, criticizing the Ellisons' ties to Oracle and accusing them of profiting from 'genocide' in Gaza, urging support to stop the deal.
- Aug 22, 2026Paramount accused Ruffalo of invoking 'antisemitic tropes' in his criticism. Ruffalo fired back, calling the accusation 'appalling and fundamentally dishonest.'
- Aug 23, 2026Ruffalo denied being antisemitic, stating his criticism of Oracle and the merger has been 'dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel.'
- Aug 24, 2026The Combat Antisemitism Movement reported on the dispute, highlighting Ruffalo's accusations of 'genocide' and 'apartheid.'
Who’s saying what
- Paramount
- Paramount accused Ruffalo of invoking antisemitic tropes in his attacks on the merger and the Ellison family.
- Ruffalo
- Ruffalo denied antisemitism, asserting his criticism targets Oracle's business practices and the merger's impact, not Jewish people.
- Combat Antisemitism Move
- The group characterized Ruffalo's comments as an 'antisemitic attack' for accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid.