An entertainment industry group called The Brigade, which says it represents nearly 1,000 members and allies of the Jewish community working in film, television, music and related fields, released a statement condemning what it characterized as "antisemitic tropes" in actor Mark Ruffalo's criticism of Paramount's leadership. The group's members include producers Haim Saban, Lawrence Bender and Teddy Schwarzman, as well as Ram Bergman, Matti Leshem, Anthony Bregman, Micah Green and Lynn Harris.
Ruffalo's Aug. 21 Instagram post drew attention to Oracle's ties to the Israeli military, featuring a clip of former Oracle CEO Safra Catz at an Israeli-American Council summit in 2024 relating to Israel's war effort in Gaza. The post targeted Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Paramount's controlling shareholder through a family trust and father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, as well as Ellison's role as financial backer of Paramount's proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Brigade's statement said: "Singling out Jewish executives and describing them in terms lifted from centuries-old antisemitic conspiracy theories, while invoking Israel as the frame for that attack, is antisemitic." The group added that such rhetoric mirrors language historically weaponized against Jews by Nazis, Soviets and the Klan, and said it represents "a callous continuation of the ongoing campaign by the same individuals and groups targeting Jewish people and the state of Israel."
Ruffalo has opposed the Paramount-WBD merger over concerns about Hollywood jobs and has campaigned for Palestinian rights and against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. After his initial post, a Paramount spokesperson called for lowering the temperature around the deal and characterized his remarks as "antisemitic." Ruffalo responded via X that the accusation was "appalling and fundamentally dishonest."
The Brigade's statement was joined by criticism from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, though actress Hannah Einbinder described the "antisemitism" claims against Ruffalo as "ludicrous" and called for more in Hollywood to follow his example.
