Actor John Cusack expressed support for Mark Ruffalo as Ruffalo responded to Paramount's claims that his criticism of Oracle involved antisemitic tropes. Cusack commented on X, stating, "Solidarity — well said," in reaction to Ruffalo's defense regarding Oracle's connections to the Israeli military and its leadership. The controversy arose after Ruffalo criticized Oracle executive Safra Catz, who is also on Paramount’s board, and shared a video discussing Oracle's technologies used by the Israeli military following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
Ruffalo linked his criticism to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, raising concerns about editorial independence and job security. He stated that the technologies discussed could be integrated into a major media conglomerate, potentially impacting the public negatively. Paramount responded by expressing concern over the invocation of antisemitic tropes in what it characterized as a business dispute, emphasizing that terms like 'genocide' and 'apartheid' are inappropriate in this context.
In response, Ruffalo called the antisemitism accusation "appalling and fundamentally dishonest," asserting that criticism of the Israeli government should not be equated with antisemitism. He emphasized the need for scrutiny of the Ellisons' business practices and the implications of their media control. The merger is also facing legal challenges from a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, and Paramount has agreed not to finalize the deal until a court ruling or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first. The Simon Wiesenthal Center's CEO commended Paramount for addressing the issue, while film critic Christian Toto noted the potential for increased scrutiny of antisemitism within Hollywood as the merger debate continues.