Actor Mark Ruffalo Accused of Antisemitism in Media Merger Debate
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Actor Mark Ruffalo Accused of Antisemitism in Media Merger Debate
- Actor Mark Ruffalo has been accused of antisemitism by Paramount Skydance after criticizing the Ellison family's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Ruffalo's comments, made on social media in August 2026, linked Oracle's technology and its relationship with Israel to the proposed media merger, drawing strong condemnation from Paramount Skydance.
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Actor Mark Ruffalo is facing accusations of antisemitism following his remarks regarding the proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. In August 2026, Ruffalo took to social media to criticize the transaction, specifically targeting Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose company is helping finance his son David Ellison’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ruffalo’s posts raised concerns about Oracle’s technology and its alleged role in what he described as an “apartheid system and genocide involving Palestinians,” and warned that these “profoundly scary technologies” could become intertwined with the enlarged media company. He also referred to Larry Ellison as a “classic oligarch” and accused wealthy corporate leaders of consolidating wealth and power.
Paramount Skydance, formed in August 2025 from the merger of Skydance Media, Paramount Global, and National Amusements, swiftly condemned Ruffalo’s comments. A spokesperson for the company stated that they were “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute,” and characterized the application of terms like “genocide” and “apartheid” to a corporate transaction as “a bridge too far.”
Ruffalo has refuted the accusations, calling them “appalling and fundamentally dishonest.” He maintained that his criticism was directed at corporate conduct, political decisions, and the concentration of media power, rather than the Ellison family’s Jewish identity. He further clarified that “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.”
The proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance, valued at approximately $110 billion including debt, has been a subject of ongoing debate and legal challenges. The deal was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division on June 12, 2026, but is currently facing widespread antitrust legal action and was delayed until June 1, 2027, with an antitrust trial set for March 2027. Ruffalo has been a vocal opponent of the merger for months, arguing it could lead to job losses and a concentration of media influence.