George Clooney defends Mark Ruffalo amid 'antisemitism smear campaign'

George Clooney has defended fellow actor Mark Ruffalo's criticism of Paramount's planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, amid a "smear campaign" claiming that the Hulk star is antisemitic.

Clooney spoke on the matter on Wednesday ahead of the Venice Film Festival, where he shared his reservations about the merger.

“I worry when a big company swallows up another company,” Clooney was quoted by The Guardian as saying.

“I always worry whenever big companies are consolidating because it means a lot of people are going to lose their job," he added.

Speaking on Ruffalo, Clooney said that he supports his right to "speak freely", adding that he is a "good man".

“I think that that’s ridiculous. We’re not going to ban speech,” Clooney said. “I believe in free speech even when I completely disagree with it. That’s important, right? In fact, it’s part of how a democracy works.”

In his criticism of the planned $110bn acquisition deal, Ruffalo highlighted Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's support for Israel's genocide in Gaza. Ruffalo pointed out Oracle's work with the Israeli army, as well as the Ellison family's ownership of Paramount.

Paramount lashed out at Ruffalo, accusing him of using "anti-semitic tropes" -- a charge the actor denied.

The statement led more than 180 Jewish public figures, including many Hollywood figures, to express their support for Ruffalo in an open letter on Tuesday. The letter slammed the "outrageous smear campaign" against the actor and emphasised that criticism of Israel's actions is not antisemitism.

Among those who signed the letter were Hannah Einbender, Gina Gershon, Tony Kushner, Todd Haynes, and James Schamus.

Ruffalo has previously been targeted by pro-Israel figures due to his criticism of Israel's war on Gaza, where it has killed over 70,000 people since October 2023.