Jane Fonda Defends Mark Ruffalo After Paramount Calls His Merger Criticism Antisemitic

Jane Fonda and her 1A Committee have defended Mark Ruffalo after Paramount accused the actor of antisemitism over comments about the Ellison family, Oracle’s military technology ties to Israel and the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Fonda called the accusation an attempt to silence legitimate criticism.

Jane Fonda defends Mark Ruffalo

Ruffalo criticised the proposed $110 billion merger in an Instagram post, questioning the Ellison family’s business links and Oracle’s relationship with Israel. Paramount responded by calling his remarks antisemitic and “a bridge too far”.

The studio said: “We are, as always, troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute. 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.”

Ruffalo later called the accusation “appalling and fundamentally dishonest”. He said: “Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.”

1A Committee backs merger criticism

Fonda’s committee said Ruffalo had a First Amendment right to speak about politics, corporations and the merger. Fonda said: “Mark Ruffalo has a First Amendment right to speak out about politics, powerful corporations and this dangerous merger — full stop,” calling the accusation “a smear to delegitimize criticism of the merger”.

Bruce Cohen, an Oscar-winning producer and 1A Committee steering committee member, said: “Especially as a Jewish American, I find it deeply troubling to see false accusations of antisemitism used to silence legitimate political criticism in this country.”

Paramount-Warner Bros. merger controversy

The dispute comes as Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery faces scrutiny over the scale of the combined media company. The merger has been valued at around $110 billion, putting corporate control at the centre of the debate.

Paramount had not immediately responded to TheWrap’s request for comment on Fonda’s statement as of Tuesday.