Mark Ruffalo fires back after he was labeled an antisemite by top Hollywood film studio over 'genocide' comments

Mark Ruffalo has come back swinging after Paramount called his recent merger attack 'antisemitic.'

In an extended social media post, the Oscar-winning actor called the company's remarks 'appalling and fundamentally dishonest,' stating that his faultfinding had to do with military contracts and executive actions, not Jewish people.

Ruffalo has been a loud opponent of the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, and his criticism has sparked a public feud with Paramount.

Paramount CEO David Ellison is the son of billionaire technology mogul, Larry Ellison, co-founder and executive chairman of major software company Oracle, which has provided technological assistance to Israel amid its assault on Gaza.

The actor, who wore an 'ICE Out' at the 2026 Golden Globes in January, used the terms 'genocide' and 'apartheid' in a previous social media letter criticizing the funding behind the $111 billion business transaction.

A Paramount spokesman swiftly condemned Ruffalo's rhetoric as invoking antisemitic tropes, further stating that applying words like 'genocide' and 'apartheid' to a corporate business deal was a 'bridge too far,' according to CNN’s Brian Stelter.

On Saturday, Ruffalo slammed that statement, writing: 'The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest. 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.

'This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel. To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect.

'Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life,' Ruffalo added.

On Friday, the Dark Waters star blasted Paramount in a post on Instagram Stories, in which he accused billionaires Ellison, 43, and his father Larry, 82, of 'powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world.'

Ruffalo shared a years-old video of Israeli-American business executive Safra Catz, the former Oracle CEO who is now its executive vice chair of the board of directors.

'This is the company that Larry Ellison is using to fund his son David's Warner Bros acquisition,' Ruffalo wrote to his 20.5 million followers.

In Saturday's lengthy follow-up, Ruffalo railed: 'This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country.

'Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle’s business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary.

'The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., backed in part by foreign money whose influence on editorial decisions has never been fully explained to the public.

'Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for serious national security review, and regulators still haven’t given the public a real answer. Until they do, the merger shouldn’t move forward. Now is the time to dive boldly into all these issues, not step back or concede,' he concluded.

In his previous post, Ruffalo also called Larry Ellison a 'classic oligarch' who would own most of what he disparagingly coined 'Para Bros.'

'They are crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world for their own power and concentrated dominance,' Ruffalo wrote.

Ruffalo noted that 12 Attorneys General were suing to stop the Paramount-Warner Bros merger.

'It will be catastrophic for our film industry,' Ruffalo wrote. 'Merger [sic] like this are almost always bad for workers, consumers, and the industry they tend to dominate.’

The effort to stop the merger is being led by California, whose film industry has struggled in recent times.

Paramount's merger with Warner Bros could cost Los Angeles County approximately 4,500 film and television jobs, according to a report published by LA County on Tuesday.

The video of Ms Catz speaking that Ruffalo shared was from the Israeli-American Council National Summit in 2024, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Ruffalo wrote in his Instagram story: 'Look 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.'

In the clip, Catz talked about advancing 'the agenda for the Israeli military' and mentioned 'really profoundly scary technology at Oracle.’

'We wanted to make sure that it was available for the effort,' she said, referring to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel.

Paramount's spokesperson turned the argument on Ruffalo: 'This doesn't deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don't tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone.'

The media conglomerate emphasized that it was 'a moment to lower the temperature, not raise it,' insisting that it would 'rather build than further engage in such rhetoric.'

Paramount said that Ruffalo's remarks 'simply exposes the true motivation of some who have advocated opposition to this transaction,' referring to its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros.

The company said it was committed 'to every story, every storyteller, and no blacklists, no exceptions, for anyone.'

'We understand people feel strongly about this merger and are hopeful and expect that it will be judged based on the legal merits, not underlying bias,' Paramount continued.

Paramount's statement finished by asking for 'less rhetoric, more understanding.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Ruffalo's representatives and Paramount for further comment.