{
  "id": 11583949,
  "title": "Bill Maher Sends a Message to New Skydance Bosses Ahead of Merger Closing – and It’s About Trump",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/bill-maher-sends-a-message-to-new-skydance-bosses-ahead-of-merger",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T02:41:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/bill-maher-reacts-paramount-skydance-warner-bros-merger-closing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bill Maher cautioned his new Skydance executives not to take Donald Trump's words at face value regarding him, as he prepared for the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger to finalize. During his show \"Real Time With Bill Maher,\" Maher pondered his future ownership under the merged entity, which would come under the name Skydance. In his Friday reflection, Maher sought assurance from the new owners to disregard Trump's recent tweets, emphasizing that he did not want their judgments influenced by the president's comments. Maher dismissed Trump's assertion about his ratings being low, stating that he was unbothered by such criticisms and urged the public to do the same, while advising against mentioning his attendance at Cornell University. As for the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, recent developments include Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín's approval of a $110 billion settlement with 12 state attorneys general, placing the deal on track to be completed by next week. Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz has joined David Ellison in co-CEO role, while CNN CEO Mark Thompson will remain with the newly formed corporation. Warner film executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have resigned from their positions. The new merged brand, Skydance, aims to carry forward the iconic legacies of both studios while providing a fresh platform for quality storytelling.",
  "summary": "\"Whoever owns me now, don't believe what Trump is tweeting about me,\" the comedian says The post Bill Maher Sends a Message to New Skydance Bosses Ahead of Merger Closing – and It’s About Trump appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [
    "Bill Maher advises Skydance executives not to take Trump's words at face value.",
    "Maher's future ownership under Skydance merger will be under the new name.",
    "Paramount-Warner Bros. merger set to close by next week with $110B settlement."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Bill Maher's overture to new Skydance executives signals his concern that Trump's public criticisms could influence their assessment of him as the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger nears completion.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "‘Real Time’: Bill Maher Tells New Skydance Bosses “Don’t Believe What Trump Is Tweeting About Me”",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/real-time-bill-maher-tells-new-skydance-bosses-dont-believe-what",
        "published": "2026-10-03T02:32:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}