More than 170 Jewish figures in entertainment and the arts have signed an open letter defending actor Mark Ruffalo after Paramount Skydance accused him of antisemitism for his criticism of the proposed $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount merger.
Paramount’s allegation stems from Ruffalo’s August 22 Instagram post, in which he linked the merger to Oracle, a tech company co-founded by Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison. Ruffalo described the Ellison family as “powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world” and framed the corporate transaction as built on “genocide” and “apartheid.” The post is no longer publicly available but was reproduced by The Hollywood Reporter.
Ruffalo’s defenders, including actors George Clooney, Joaquin Phoenix, Debra Winger, and Hannah Einbinder; filmmakers Joel Coen, Jonathan Glazer, and Todd Haynes; and playwright Tony Kushner, signed the letter calling the antisemitism accusations a “false and dangerous weaponization of charges of antisemitism.” The letter was released on Wednesday, with Clooney publicly endorsing Ruffalo’s stance on Thursday.
Paramount’s Response
Paramount has not publicly detailed its specific allegations but previously stated that Ruffalo’s comments invoked “antisemitic tropes.” The company did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News or The Hollywood Reporter.
Criticism from Rabbinic Group
The Coalition for Jewish Values, representing over 2,500 Orthodox rabbis, criticized the signatories in a statement, calling their defense of Ruffalo an attempt to “whitewash antisemitism.” The group argued that Ruffalo’s remarks mischaracterized Oracle’s role in Israel’s policies and conflated corporate actions with broader geopolitical conflicts.
“Ruffalo did not merely criticize a business deal,” the coalition stated. “He framed a corporate transaction as built on ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ which is not policy criticism but mischaracterization of civil rights for Jews and Arabs as racism.”
Support for Ruffalo
Actress Jane Fonda also defended Ruffalo in an interview, stating that Larry Ellison “should be ashamed” for accusing Ruffalo of antisemitism. Fonda asserted that Ruffalo’s comments were within his constitutional right to express.
Background: The Merger and Oracle’s Role
The proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, valued at $111 billion, would create one of the largest media conglomerates globally. Oracle, co-founded by Larry Ellison, has faced criticism from progressives for its contracts with the Israeli government, including providing technology used in military operations. Oracle also holds a stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations.
Ruffalo’s post referenced a video of Oracle executive Safra Catz, an Oracle board member and Paramount board member, discussing Oracle’s technology used to assist Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Ruffalo described the technology as “profoundly scary” and suggested it could be used to oppress populations.
Ruffalo’s Stance
Ruffalo previously called Paramount’s accusation of antisemitism “appalling” in a statement to Fox News Digital, stating that his criticism was directed at corporate policies, not Jewish individuals.