Ruffalo Faces Antisemitism Accusation Over Paramount Merger Criticism

Actor Mark Ruffalo intensified his public opposition to the proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery on August 21, 2026, posting a social media video that linked the deal to Oracle's technology contracts with the Israeli military. The move prompted Paramount to accuse the actor of invoking "antisemitic tropes," a charge Ruffalo forcefully rejected the following day.

The controversy began when Ruffalo shared a clip of Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz discussing "profoundly scary technologies" the company developed for Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. Ruffalo connected this to the merger by highlighting that Oracle founder Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, who is leading the acquisition. In his post, Ruffalo stated the Ellisons are "crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world" and warned that Oracle's technologies would "most likely be merged into one of the largest media conglomerates in the world and one day used on you."

Paramount responded on August 21 with a statement saying it was "troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute."...