Ruffalo Urges AGs To Reject Paramount Deal
Macklin Orator — Thomas Patch, 1750–80
What Happened
Mark Ruffalo publicly pressed California AG Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general not to settle their antitrust lawsuit blocking Paramount Skydance's $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition. Ruffalo cited over 75,000 signatures opposing the deal, in addition to 5,670 filmmakers who had also signed on. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Paramount Skydance and Bonta are in advanced settlement talks.
Why It Matters
A merger already cleared by the DOJ is being held up by state AGs alone — which means an actor's tweet and a petition count are now part of the pressure campaign. Elizabeth Warren joined in, tying the deal to Trump barring CNN (as well as MSNBC and Politico) from the White House. Nobody in this fight agrees on the stakes, but everyone agrees the settlement talks are the real battlefield now, not the courtroom.
What's Next
Bonta and Paramount Skydance remain in advanced settlement talks, with no deal confirmed yet.