Mark Ruffalo Slams Paramount’s ‘Dishonest’ Antisemitism Accusation Over Merger Criticism

The Origins of the Dispute Over the Paramount-Skydance Merger

The controversy began when Mark Ruffalo reshared an Instagram Story featuring a clip from a 2024 video featuring Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz, according to NBC News. In the clip, Catz discussed technology Oracle made available to the Israeli military following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. The post had originally been shared by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Ruffalo linked the tech executive’s comments to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose son, David Ellison, is leading the Skydance acquisition of Paramount Global, as reported by NBC News. Ruffalo wrote on Instagram that Larry Ellison was using Oracle to fund the transaction, warning followers that the combined company would wield profound surveillance and media control over CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros.

Paramount Reacts to Ruffalo’s Social Media Posts

Paramount responded over the weekend with a strong statement condemning the language used in the actor’s social media posts, according to coverage by The Hollywood Reporter and NBC News. A company spokesperson stated that the studio is troubled when antisemitic tropes appear in business disputes.

“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,” Paramount said in a statement provided to multiple news outlets. The studio added that it does not tolerate prejudice of any kind.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center publicly supported Paramount’s stance, with the organization taking to social media to commend the studio for refusing to let prejudice masquerade as political or corporate criticism, according to The Hollywood Reporter and NBC News.

Ruffalo Denies Accusations and Defends Criticism

Mark Ruffalo responded on X, formerly Twitter, by defending his public stance against the merger and rejecting any claim of antisemitism, as reported by NBC News. The actor emphasized that his views stem from political convictions and do not represent hostility toward Jewish people.

“The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” Ruffalo wrote on X. “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.”

Ruffalo argued that scrutiny of the Ellison family, Oracle’s government contracts, and the sheer scale of the merger is fair and necessary. He warned that the consolidation could threaten editorial freedom and lead to thousands of job losses across the film and television industry.