Mark Ruffalo has hit out at Paramount after the film studio accused him of antisemitism, branding the accusation “appalling and fundamentally dishonest”. Earlier this week, Ruffalo criticised the links between Oracle – the multinational tech company owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, father of Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison – and the Israeli military. Paramount are currently in the process of a controversial merger with rival studio Warner Bros, in a deal worth $111bn (£81bn).
The acquisition has faced significant criticism from within the US film industry, thanks in part to David Ellison’s political ties with US president Donald Trump. Ruffalo shared a clip on social media of a video taken in 2024, in which former Oracle chief Safra Catz discusses the company’s activities in relation to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Catz is heard making reference to “profoundly scary technologies” that Oracle had designed.
Ruffalo described the Israeli military’s actions as a “genocide” that “was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle.” “From one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world. Why has Trump pushed this illegal merger through?” he wrote.
On Friday (21 August), Paramount issued a statement in which they accused Ruffalo of invoking “antisemitic tropes”. This doesn’t deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don’t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone. We’d rather build than further engage in such rhetoric.
This simply exposes the true motivation of some who have advocated opposition to this transaction. On the other hand, our commitment to great content is matched by our commitment to acceptance – to every story, every storyteller, and no blacklists, no exceptions, for anyone.” A day later, Ruffalo issued a statement of his own, disputing Paramount’s allegation. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial.
Plan auto-renews until cancelled. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect.” Ruffalo went on to argue that his criticism of the Ellisons – and the business practices of Oracle – was “fair and necessary”, and reaffirmed his support for the Jewish community.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
