Actor Jane Fonda has publicly defended Mark Ruffalo after Paramount accused him of antisemitism over his criticism of the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros merger and the Ellison family's ties to Israel. Fonda, writing as a Jewish American on behalf of the Committee for the 1st Amendment, argued that Paramount was misusing accusations of antisemitism to silence legitimate political dissent and distract from concerns about corporate power over media consolidation.

The row began after Ruffalo shared a clip of Paramount board member Safra Catz discussing Oracle's supply of military technology to Israel following the October 7 attack, and likened Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, father of Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison, to a "classic oligarch". Paramount responded by saying it was troubled by the use of terms such as "genocide" and "apartheid" in relation to a corporate deal, calling them a "bridge too far". Fonda's statement echoed support already voiced by "Hacks" actor Hannah Einbinder, who dismissed the antisemitism accusation as "ludicrous" and questioned Ellison's political donations and business ties.