Ruffalo Urges California AG to Reject Paramount Merger Settlement

Actor Mark Ruffalo is leading a public campaign urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta to reject a potential settlement in the state's antitrust lawsuit against Paramount's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The pressure comes as Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general negotiate with Paramount CEO David Ellison ahead of a federal trial scheduled for March 2, 2027. Ruffalo, in a series of social media posts on Saturday, directly addressed Bonta, writing, "Don't you dare AG Rob Bonta, do not cave." He stated that 5,670 filmmakers had publicly opposed the merger and that a petition against the deal had gathered over 75,000 signatures in three weeks. "You work for the people the very people who will be hurt if you let this lousy deal filled with empty promises go forward," Ruffalo wrote. The actor also called on his supporters in the Bay Area to gather outside Attorney General Bonta's Oakland office on Sunday at 5 p.m. to protest what he described as a "backroom deal." Ruffalo claimed he was hearing that Bonta was "about to cave" to Paramount's position.