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Mark Ruffalo is encouraging California attorney general Rob Bonta and his coalition of 11 other state AGs not to settle their lawsuit against Paramount Skydance and keep David Ellison from acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Don’t you dare [Rob Bonta], do not cave,” Ruffalo wrote on X. “5,670 filmmakers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks. You work for the people — the very people who will be hurt if you let this lousy deal filled with empty promises go forward. Please sign to send a message to the AGs and Paramount. Reject the deal. The people don’t want it!”
Ruffalo is one of Hollywood’s most outspoken stars about opposing the merger. He recently found himself in a back-and-forth with Paramount, in which a studio rep called him “antisemitic” for calling out the Ellisons’ connection with Israel.
Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion deal for Warner Bros. was approved by the Department of Justice in June. However, the deal was put on hold thanks to the antitrust lawsuit from Bonta and his team of state AGs. The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reported Friday that Paramount Skydance and Bonta are in “advanced talks” to reach a settlement.
Ruffalo isn’t the only one asking Bonta to hold his ground. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts wrote on Facebook Saturday morning that President Donald Trump banning CNN from the White House is a warning of things to come if Paramount Skydance swallows Warner Bros. (Trump also banned MSNOW and Politico).
“As Trump tries to ban CNN from the White House, it would be a massive mistake to cave on the Paramount merger,” Warren wrote. “The last thing we need is another Trump-controlled media conglomerate abusing its power to stomp out competition. This is a dangerous merger.”
