Mark Ruffalo is speaking out against Paramount after the film studio accused him of antisemitism, branding the accusation "appalling and fundamentally dishonest."
Earlier this week, The Avengers star criticised the links between Oracle – the multinational tech company owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, father of Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison – and the Israeli military.
After his scathing statement, Paramount publicly accused Ruffalo of invoking "antisemitic tropes" in a new statement.
Now, on Saturday, August 22nd, the popular American actor took to his Instagram Stories to hit back at the media and entertainment company, calling their allegations "appalling and fundamentally dishonest."
"The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest. Criticising the actions of the Israeli minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticising Jewish people," he added.
He further alleged that, "This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel. To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect."
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Ruffalo went on to argue that his criticism of the Ellisons – and the business practices of Oracle – was “fair and necessary”, and reaffirmed his support for the Jewish community.
"Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life. This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country," he noted.
Paramount's representatives criticized Mark Ruffalo over anti-Semitic remarks
This came after Paramount’s representative told Variety, "Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe. This doesn’t deserve a response in kind."
On the work front, Mark Ruffalo stars as Dr Bruce Banner / The Hulk in the box-office smash hit Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
