1 week ago
Mark Ruffalo Responds After Paramount Accuses Him of Antisemitic Tropes
Mark Ruffalo criticized a proposed deal involving Paramount and Warner Bros.
Discovery.
He connected the deal to Oracle, a technology company co-founded by Larry Ellison.
Larry Ellison’s son, David Ellison, leads Paramount.
Ruffalo shared an older video of Safra Catz discussing Oracle technology and the Israeli military.
He used words including “genocide” and “apartheid” while describing Israel, Oracle and the proposed deal.
Paramount said this language used antisemitic tropes and was not appropriate for a business disagreement.
Ruffalo responded that criticizing Israel or its policies is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.
The two sides therefore disagree about both the meaning of his comments and whether they were relevant to the proposed transaction.
Paramount accused Mark Ruffalo of invoking antisemitic tropes while criticizing the Ellison family and a proposed Warner Bros. Discovery deal.
Ruffalo linked Oracle’s reported ties to Israel to the proposed combination involving Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
He shared an older video of former Oracle chief Safra Catz discussing technology used to assist the Israeli military after the October 7 attacks.
Paramount objected to Ruffalo’s use of “genocide” and “apartheid” in describing a corporate transaction, saying the terms diminish real suffering.
Ruffalo responded that criticizing Israeli policies or alleged corporate ties is not the same as criticizing Jewish people, according to the report’s headline and summary.
- Who
- Mark Ruffalo, Paramount, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, Oracle and former Oracle chief Safra Catz.
- What
- A public dispute over Ruffalo’s criticism of the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery deal and Paramount’s accusation that his comments invoked antisemitic tropes.
- Where
- The comments were made publicly, including in a post on Ruffalo’s Instagram account, while Paramount’s response was reported by Variety.
- When
- The dispute followed Ruffalo’s sharing of an older Safra Catz video; the articles do not provide a specific date.
- Why
- Ruffalo raised concerns about Oracle’s reported connections to Israel and the Ellison family’s relationship to the proposed media deal; Paramount rejected his framing and language.
Mark Ruffalo’s Position
Paramount’s Position
Oracle and the proposed deal
Mark Ruffalo’s Position
Ruffalo argued that Oracle’s reported ties to Israel and the Ellison family’s influence should raise concerns about the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery transaction.
Paramount’s Position
Paramount said Ruffalo improperly connected a corporate transaction with language and allegations that it considered unacceptable in a business dispute.
Use of “genocide” and “apartheid”
Mark Ruffalo’s Position
Ruffalo used the terms while describing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and Oracle’s alleged role in supporting Israeli military activity.
Paramount’s Position
Paramount said applying those words to a corporate transaction was wrong and cheapened the real suffering associated with them.
Antisemitism accusation
Mark Ruffalo’s Position
Ruffalo’s reported response was that criticizing Israel or Israeli policies is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.
Paramount’s Position
Paramount said his post invoked antisemitic tropes and emphasized that it does not tolerate prejudice against anyone.
Key facts
- Disputing parties
- Paramount and Mark Ruffalo
- Proposed transaction
- A proposed business combination involving Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery
- Technology company discussed
- Oracle
- Ellison family connection
- Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle, while his son David Ellison leads Paramount
- Video shared by Ruffalo
- An older clip featuring former Oracle chief Safra Catz discussing technology used to assist the Israeli military after the October 7 attacks
- Paramount’s objection
- The company said Ruffalo invoked antisemitic tropes and improperly applied the terms “genocide” and “apartheid” to a corporate transaction
- Ruffalo’s response
- He argued that criticism of Israel or its policies is not the same as criticism of Jewish people
Quotes
Paramount spokesperson
A representative of Paramount, the David Ellison-led company.
“Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe.”
livemint.com
“This is the company that Larry Ellison is using to fund his son David’s Warner Bros acquisition.”
livemint.com
Sources
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