Jane Fonda has defended actor Mark Ruffalo after Paramount accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes while criticising the company’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Fonda, a two-time Oscar winner and founder of the Committee for the First Amendment, said Paramount was attempting to discredit Ruffalo’s criticism by labelling it antisemitic.
In a statement issued through the organisation on Tuesday, Fonda said Ruffalo had the right to speak publicly about politics, powerful corporations and the proposed merger.
“Mark Ruffalo has a First Amendment right to speak out about politics, powerful corporations and this dangerous merger full stop.”
Fonda accused Paramount of using the antisemitism allegation to divert attention from concerns about the concentration of media ownership.
“Calling his criticism antisemitic is a smear to delegitimize criticism of the merger and to distract from the question Paramount would rather not answer: should one company be allowed to accumulate this much power over our movies, television and news?” she said.
She also linked the controversy to the original Committee for the First Amendment, which was established to oppose blacklisting and intimidation over political beliefs.
“We will not stand by while the government or its allies revive those tactics to bully activists into silence today,” Fonda said.
The dispute escalated after Ruffalo shared a video featuring Oracle executive vice chair Safra Catz discussing technology supplied to the Israeli military during its operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Paramount subsequently criticised Ruffalo, saying it was “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute.”
The company added that it did not tolerate prejudice against anyone.
Ruffalo rejected the accusation, describing it as “appalling and fundamentally dishonest.”
He argued that criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, military technology contracts or executives involved in supplying such technology should not be equated with hostility towards Jewish people.
Ruffalo said his position reflected his political convictions and stressed that he had “deep love and respect” for Jewish people, adding that Jewish friends, colleagues and loved ones had significantly influenced his life and work.
Several Hollywood figures, including Hannah Einbinder and John Cusack, have also backed Ruffalo. However, organisations including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League have supported accusations that his comments were antisemitic.
The dispute comes amid a wider battle over Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Netflix abandoned its bid for Warner Bros. in February after declining to increase its offer against Paramount Skydance’s reported $31-per-share proposal. Paramount Skydance had launched a hostile takeover bid after Netflix reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery in December.
Ruffalo and attorney Norm Eisen previously campaigned against the proposed takeover. In April, they urged state officials to use antitrust laws to block the deal.
More than 5,000 people signed an open letter organised by the Committee for the First Amendment, the Future Film Coalition, the Writers Guild of America and the Democracy Defenders Fund.
The signatories argued that the proposed merger could threaten the sustainability of the wider creative industry.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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