Story perspectives

Paramount Merger Fight Intensifies Amid Antisemitism Row

8/25/2026

Summary

Ruffalo Accused

U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo accused Larry Ellison and David Ellison of “powering inhuman forces” on Instagram.
Paramount Pictures said it was troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in Ruffalo’s merger criticism.
A letter signed by Haim Saban, Teddy Schwarzman and a thousand members condemned Ruffalo’s comments as antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Ruffalo replied on X that the antisemitism accusation was “appalling,” with J Street and The Nexus Project defending his critique.

Summary

Paramount Merger

The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger is postponed pending an antitrust trial that could last until June 2027.
Bipartisan lawmakers have urged a national-security review of the $111 billion acquisition.
Twelve state attorneys general have filed lawsuits to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. acquisition.
Critics argue the deal would give the Ellison family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., shaping news.
Regulators have not yet issued a public decision on antitrust and foreign-investment compliance.

History

Historical Context

AOL, which ran the world’s largest e-mail service with about 9 million users in 1997, later became a focal point of telecom-media consolidation when Verizon bought it in 2015. That history informs the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. acquisition, which now faces antitrust reviews from multiple state attorneys general. Regulators cite earlier cross-media combinations as examples of competition risks, prompting tighter oversight of the current merger.

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Ruffalo Accused

U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo accused Larry Ellison and David Ellison of “powering inhuman forces” on Instagram.
Paramount Pictures said it was troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in Ruffalo’s merger criticism.
A letter signed by Haim Saban, Teddy Schwarzman and a thousand members condemned Ruffalo’s comments as antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Ruffalo replied on X that the antisemitism accusation was “appalling,” with J Street and The Nexus Project defending his critique.

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