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Amid accusations of antisemitism directed at Mark Ruffalo over his criticism of the proposed Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merger, actress Jane Fonda has come to her fellow actor’s defense.

The two-time Oscar winner and founder of the Committee for the First Amendment issued an official statement in which she called the accusations against Ruffalo “a cynical attempt to falsely label him an antisemite” and “an effort to distract from the real issue — the dangerous consolidation of media power” that would result from the deal.

“Mark Ruffalo has a First Amendment-protected right to speak out about politics, powerful corporations and this dangerous merger — period,” she said. “Calling his criticism antisemitism is a dirty tactic designed to discredit those who oppose the deal and avoid the uncomfortable question facing Paramount: should a single company be given such enormous power over our movies, television and news?”

The controversy began after Mark Ruffalo shared a video featuring Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz. The clip discussed providing the Israeli military with “deeply frightening technologies” for the war in Gaza.

In response, Paramount representatives said they were “concerned about the use of antisemitic tropes in what is purportedly a business dispute.”

Ruffalo himself described the accusations of antisemitism as “outrageous and fundamentally dishonest.”

“Criticism of the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract or the executives supplying that technology is not the same thing as criticism of the Jewish people. This vital conversation is being dishonestly portrayed as anti-Israel. My views are driven solely by my personal political beliefs and in no way reflect hostility toward Jewish people, whom I hold in the deepest love and respect,” he said.

While many figures in the entertainment industry — including Hannah Einbinder, who called the accusations “absurd,” and John Cusack — have publicly backed Ruffalo, several organizations have sided with Paramount. Among them, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) have supported the accusations of antisemitism against the actor.

As previously reported, Netflix dropped out of the bidding for Warner Bros. in February, declining to raise its offer against Paramount Skydance’s $31-per-share bid. This came after Netflix had agreed to an $82.7 billion deal with WBD in December, before Paramount launched its hostile takeover attempt.

Back in April, Mark Ruffalo joined forces with attorney Norm Eisen to call on state officials to invoke antitrust laws and block the hostile takeover.

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