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Kenneth Lonergan defends Mark Ruffalo against antisemitism claims in Paramount dispute

The filmmaker criticized pushback over Ruffalo's social media post regarding the Ellison family, Oracle, and Israel's military actions.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 18:23 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan released a letter to The Hollywood Reporter defending actor Mark Ruffalo against allegations of antisemitism.
  • The dispute stems from Ruffalo's Aug. 21 Instagram post linking Oracle founder Larry Ellison—father of Paramount CEO David Ellison—and the company's tech to Israel's war efforts in Gaza.
  • Paramount and Jewish industry groups condemned Ruffalo's remarks, while actors Jane Fonda and Hannah Einbinder joined Lonergan in supporting him.
  • The public conflict intersects with ongoing Hollywood opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

Key facts

  • Kenneth Lonergan submitted a letter to The Hollywood Reporter supporting actor Mark Ruffalo and characterizing accusations of antisemitism against him as cynical deflections.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Mark Ruffalo published an Aug. 21 Instagram post criticizing Oracle founder Larry Ellison and citing Oracle's technological support for the Israeli military's war effort in Gaza.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Paramount issued a statement asserting that Ruffalo invoked antisemitic tropes and that applying terms like 'genocide' and 'apartheid' to a business context was unacceptable.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Industry organizations including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Creative Community for Peace, and a group named The Brigade publicly condemned Ruffalo's statement.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Actors Jane Fonda and Hannah Einbinder defended Ruffalo, with Fonda describing the accusations as an attempt to delegitimize opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.[The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Lonergan noted in his letter that he profoundly disagrees with many of Ruffalo's positions regarding Middle East policy and Iran's regional proxies.[The Hollywood Reporter]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether the public industry fallout over Ruffalo's posts will impact ongoing regulatory or corporate review of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.[The Hollywood Reporter]

Sources