Actor Mark Ruffalo Responds to Paramount’s Accusations

Actor Mark Ruffalo has fired back at Paramount after the company slammed him as ‘antisemitic’ for accusing David and Larry Ellison of ‘powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world.’

In a statement posted on X, Ruffalo wrote: ‘The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest. 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 went on to explain that his views on the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. come from his own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people. He emphasized that he has ‘deep love and respect’ for the Jewish community and that his views have been shaped by his relationships with Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

Ruffalo also posted a clip of a Paramount board member, Safra Catz, outlining ‘really profoundly scary technologies’ that Oracle used to help the Israeli military after the Oct. 7 terror attack. He likened the elder Ellison to a ‘classic oligarch’ and warned of the consequences if Paramount and Warner Bros. are allowed to merge.

The actor added that ‘this merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country.’ He emphasized that 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.

Ruffalo’s initial post was met with a statement from a Paramount spokesperson, who said that the company is ‘troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute.’ The spokesperson emphasized that words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, are ‘a bridge too far’ and ‘cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe.’

However, Ruffalo maintained that his views are not antisemitic and that he is simply criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister and the executives who supply military technology. He emphasized that his views come from his own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people.

Key Points:

• Ruffalo accused David and Larry Ellison of ‘powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world.’
• Paramount slammed Ruffalo as ‘antisemitic’ for his comments.
• Ruffalo maintained that his views are not antisemitic and that he is simply criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister and the executives who supply military technology.
• Ruffalo emphasized that his views come from his own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people.
• He added that 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.