Mark Ruffalo has rejected accusations that he is “antisemitic” for opposing Hollywood studio Paramount Skydance’s executives’ ties to the Israeli government.
“The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” Ruffalo, 58, wrote via X on Saturday, August 22. “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. This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel.”
The Spider-Man: Brand New Day actor stressed, “To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect. Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life.”
Ruffalo has been a vocal opponent of Paramount Skydance’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros since the deal was announced in February. Paramount Skydance chairman David Ellison is the son of Oracle cofounder and prominent Donald Trump ally Larry Ellison. (David, 43, and Larry, 82, became co-owners of Paramount Skydance following a 2025 merger.)
The latest controversy started when Ruffalo condemned a clip of Safra Catz — Oracle’s executive vice chair and a Paramount board member — recently speaking about “profoundly scary technologies” that Oracle shared with the Israeli government following the October 7 terror attacks in 2023.
Paramount Skydance responded to Ruffalo with a statement that invoked accusations of antisemitism.
“We are, as always, troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, August 21. “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. This doesn’t deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don’t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone.”
The company went on to say, “We understand people feel strongly about this merger and are hopeful and expect that it will be judged based on the legal merits, not underlying bias. We’re asking for the same good faith we’re extending: less rhetoric, more understanding. Paramount’s future is being written for everyone who wants to make and watch great stories.”
In light of those accusations, Ruffalo drew attention to what he warned would be “real consequences” for people across the country if Paramount Skydance is allowed to buy Warner Bros.
“This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country. Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle’s business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary,” he wrote on Saturday. “The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., backed in part by foreign money whose influence on editorial decisions has never been fully explained to the public.”
Mark Ruffalo Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
The Emmy Award-winning actor called for more transparency from government regulators before the Warner Bros acquisition is allowed to move forward.
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for serious national security review, and regulators still haven’t given the public a real answer,” he claimed. “Until they do, the merger shouldn’t move forward. Now is the time to dive boldly into all these issues, not step back or concede.”
Ruffalo was among dozens of Hollywood actors and filmmakers to sign an open letter of “unequivocal opposition” to the Paramount-WB union in April.
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good. The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised,” the creatives wrote in their open letter. “Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement. Media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries — one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world.”
Paramount Skydance recently announced that its potential acquisition of Warner Bros will not close until June 1, 2027, to allow more time for a regulatory review.
Long before this current dispute with Paramount, Ruffalo has been passionately outspoken about his political opposition to the Trump administration.
He exclusively told Us in January that he would “never say never” to potentially running for office in the future.
“I mean, I spent a lot of time in that world, and acting — it’s for the people,” Ruffalo argued. “So, I love the people and politicians could be doing something good for the people.”
Asked about the current political landscape in the U.S., Ruffalo told Us, “It’s bulls***. And the people in America are suffering. If the people in America weren’t suffering, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. You know, it’s a failure on both parties. They become completely captured by corporations, both parties. And it’s time for a new America that is for the working people who were the plurality of this country.”
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