Mark Ruffalo ripped into California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday after Paramount struck a settlement clearing its path to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery.
The “Avengers” star, 56, fired off a post on X attacking the Democratic governor for his role in the blockbuster deal. “Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies,” he wrote. Ruffalo was amplifying former FTC commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, who had posted his own blistering assessment of the development.
“Today, billionaires have yet again bribed, censored, and bullied their way to the top,” Bedoya wrote on X. “As a result, a billionaire media conglomerate closely allied with the president will soon own one of its closest rivals, including some of the nation’s most critical news outlets.”
The settlement arrived after months of legal combat. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general had sued in July to block the $81 billion takeover on antitrust grounds, challenging President Trump’s Department of Justice after it greenlit the deal in June. Paramount’s agreement with the states removes that major obstacle.
Newsom, 57, had reportedly warned that blocking the merger in court could damage California employment. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison specifically thanked the governor after the settlement was announced.
“Our goal has always been to build a stronger Hollywood – one with more stories told, greater choice for consumers and stronger competition,” Ellison said in a statement.
The deal binds Paramount to spend an additional $1.5 billion on domestic production over five years and release at least 30 movies theatrically each year, climbing to 32 after the first two years. It also mandates independent editorial boards for CBS News and CNN and includes commitments to boost domestic film production.
Bonta, who led the state challenge, took pains Monday to separate the settlement from any endorsement of the merger itself.
“This settlement is not a vote of support for this merger. It is not a blessing of the broader merger,” he said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also addressed the deal, acknowledging her continued opposition while pivoting to worker protection. “I do not want to see two of Hollywood’s largest studios consolidated under one company, but now we must focus on holding the companies accountable to these commitments to keep productions on L.A. Stages, crews on sets, and ensure paychecks for hardworking Angelenos,” she said.
Bass, 71, noted the court-enforceable settlement covers local production commitments, existing collective bargaining agreements and workforce training after months of industry uncertainty.
“I will continue bringing labor, industry, and government together, using every tool we have to protect L.A. Jobs and keep film and television production in Los Angeles,” she added.
SAG-AFTRA weighed in on social media with a measured statement. “We will continue to approach our relationship with Paramount with professionalism and the intention to work well together,” the union wrote. “We hope that the process of engaging with the attorneys general has impressed upon them the fact that in addition to collective bargaining, our members rely on the law to help protect our interests. These are the lowest standards that our employers must meet.”
The merged entity would combine HBO Max, Paramount+, HBO, CBS, CNN and thousands of movie titles under Ellison’s leadership. The 41-year-old executive is the son of Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump ally who has drawn scrutiny for his political connections.
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger now awaits final regulatory approvals after the state settlement defused the most significant remaining legal threat.