{"id":259070,"date":"2026-08-22T23:05:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T23:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/22\/mark-ruffalo-slammed-by-paramount-over-bridge-too-far-merger-attack\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T23:05:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T23:05:09","slug":"mark-ruffalo-slammed-by-paramount-over-bridge-too-far-merger-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/22\/mark-ruffalo-slammed-by-paramount-over-bridge-too-far-merger-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Ruffalo slammed by Paramount over &apos;bridge too far&apos; merger attack"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"byline\">\n<p>        <time itemprop=\"datePublished\" content=\"2026-08-23\" datetime=\"1787439909\" pubdate=\"\">23 August 2026<\/time>\n    <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.femalefirst.co.uk\/mark-ruffalo\/\" class=\"exposure-link \" data-linktrack=\"LinkTracker,articleExposure,mark-ruffalo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Ruffalo<\/a> has been given a dressing down after becoming embroiled in an extraordinary public clash with Paramount.<\/p>\n<p>                            <\/p>\n<p class=\"image-caption landscape\">Mark Ruffalo has been given a dressing down after becoming embroiled in an extraordinary public clash with Paramount<\/p>\n<p>The actor, 58, is locked in the row after attacking David and Larry Ellison over the media giant\u2019s proposed $110billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery \u2013\u00a0while linking their business interests to Israel\u2019s military actions in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>Mark criticised Paramount chief David Ellison and his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, in an Instagram post on Friday (21.08.26) as opposition to the Warner Bros Discovery acquisition continues in Hollywood. <\/p>\n<p>Paramount responded on Saturday (22.08.26) by accusing Mark of invoking \u201cantisemitic tropes\u201d and saying applying terms including \u201cgenocide\u201d and \u201capartheid\u201d to a corporate transaction was \u201ca bridge too far\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>                      \t\t\t<!-- Dailymotion player (contact: Kutay.vardar@dailymotion.com) --><\/p>\n<p>Mark shared an older video featuring Oracle chief executive and Paramount board member Safra Catz discussing technology supplied to Israel after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe actor also described Larry as a \u201cclassic Oligarch\u201d and warned his followers about the potential consequences of combining Paramount with Warner Bros Discovery.<\/p>\n<p>\nReferring to Safra\u2019s comments in the video, Mark wrote \u201clook how she revels in what we now have come to see as a genocide, which was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\nHe also accused David and Larry of \u201cpowering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\nParamount rejected the actor\u2019s characterisation of the proposed takeover and criticised his language.<\/p>\n<p>\nA Paramount spokesperson said: \u201c(The company is)  troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute. Words like \u2018genocide\u2019 and \u2018apartheid\u2019, applied to a corporate transaction, aren\u2019t just wrong \u2013 they\u2019re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cThis doesn\u2019t deserve a response in kind \u2013 and to be clear, we don\u2019t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\nParamount also said Mark\u2019s comments brought the dispute to \u201ca moment to lower the temperature, not raise it\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe company added: \u201cWe\u2019d rather build than further engage in such rhetoric. This simply exposes the true motivation of some who have advocated opposition to this transaction.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cOn the other hand, our commitment to great content is matched by our commitment to acceptance \u2013 to every story, every storyteller, and no blacklists, no exceptions, for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\nThe dispute comes at a critical point for Paramount\u2019s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The companies announced their definitive agreement in February, valuing Warner Bros Discovery at an enterprise value of $110billion and bringing businesses and franchises including Warner Bros, HBO, CNN, DC, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones under the same corporate umbrella as Paramount.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe transaction has received regulatory clearances in nearly 70 jurisdictions, but it remains challenged in the US by 12 state attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America. <\/p>\n<p>\nParamount this week asked a federal judge to require the states challenging the acquisition to post a $1.88billion bond, arguing delays could leave it facing substantial fees.<\/p>\n<p>\nMark has been among Hollywood\u2019s prominent critics of the transaction, while concerns about consolidation, competition and employment have also emerged elsewhere in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<p>\nA recent Los Angeles County report estimated that about 4,500 local film and television jobs could be at risk over three years if the deal proceeds.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe confrontation comes as Mark remains closely associated with Bruce Banner and the Hulk, whom he has played across the Marvel Cinematic Universe since The Avengers in 2012. <\/p>\n<p>\nHis Marvel appearances have included Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.<\/p>\n<p>\nMark has also received four Academy Award nominations for The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher, Spotlight and Poor Things, and won an Emmy for his dual performance in HBO\u2019s I Know This Much Is True.<\/p>\n<p>\nHis latest screen appearance as the Hulk is in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, while Marvel is preparing for its next major ensemble film, Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for December.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Pagination --><\/p>\n<p><!-- playbuzz --><br \/>\n<!-- end playbuzz--><\/p>\n<p><!-- \n\n<div data-cn-project=\"femalefirst\">\n    \n<\/div>\n\n --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Outbrain { date: 2018\/06\/08 } --><br \/>\n<!-- Outbrain { date: 2018\/06\/08 } --><\/p>\n<p>    <!-- Outbrain { date: 2018\/06\/08 } --><br \/>\n    <!-- Outbrain { date: 2018\/06\/08 } --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.femalefirst.co.uk\/celebrity\/mark-ruffalo-slammed-paramount-bridge-far-merger-attack-1449472.html?f=rss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>23 August 2026 Mark Ruffalo has been given a dressing down after becoming embroiled in an extraordinary public clash with Paramount. Mark Ruffalo has been given a dressing down after becoming embroiled in an extraordinary public clash with Paramount The actor, 58, is locked in the row after attacking David and Larry Ellison over the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":259071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[16571,16572,5725,16573],"class_list":{"0":"post-259070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-make-up","8":"tag-david-ellison","9":"tag-larry-ellison","10":"tag-mark-ruffalo","11":"tag-safra-catz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259070\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}