Paramount Slams Mark Ruffalo Merger Attack as ‘Antisemitic,’ Says Company Does Not ‘Tolerate Prejudice of Any Kind’

Paramount has rebuked Mark Ruffalo for making antisemitic remarks about the company's potential acquisition of Warner Bros. The actor took to social media to criticize Oracle, the tech company backing the deal, and its alleged ties to Israel. Ruffalo highlighted a video of Oracle executive Safra Catz boasting about providing "really profoundly scary technologies" to Israel following the October 7 attacks.

He then linked Oracle's involvement to Paramount's plans to acquire Warner Bros., warning that the merged entity would wield immense power and potentially be used for harmful purposes. Paramount condemned Ruffalo's use of terms like "apartheid" and "genocide" to describe Israel's actions, stating that such language should not be applied to corporate transactions, as it diminishes the suffering it is meant to describe.

The studio also noted that the lawsuit brought by 12 state Attorneys General to block the merger aimed to prevent a catastrophic loss of jobs and the concentration of creative control in the hands of those who engage in oppressive practices. Paramount emphasized its commitment to inclusivity and urged for a more constructive dialogue surrounding the merger, urging people to focus on legal merits rather than underlying biases.