George Clooney on antisemitism claims against Mark Ruffalo: "I support his right to speak"
The Hollywood star arrived at the Venice Film Festival to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. At the press conference, he addressed the controversy surrounding Mark Ruffalo and the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, emphasizing the importance of free speech and expressing skepticism about the deal's economic logic.
The prestigious Venice Film Festival opens this evening. This year, the event sought to distance itself from politics—even attempting to cancel the traditional press conference to avoid potentially contentious questions. However, politics found its way to the festival long before the red carpet was rolled out.
George Clooney, who will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement this evening, was asked this morning about the controversy surrounding the looming merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. and the remarks made by Mark Ruffalo against the deal. Clooney expressed support for Ruffalo's right to speak freely, even if he does not personally agree with his positions:
"It's ridiculous. We are not going to ban speech. I believe in freedom of speech even when I completely disagree with it. It's important. In fact, it's part of how democracy works."
As for the merger itself, Clooney called it a "complicated thing" and admitted he does not know how it will end:
"I don't see how this merger ultimately makes economic sense for the people trying to do it. I worry when a big company swallows another. I always worry when big companies merge, because it means a lot of people are going to lose their jobs."
Beyond the Ruffalo controversy, Clooney addressed several issues occupying the industry. Regarding artificial intelligence, he stated it will become "a very big part of this industry," but warned that it will "hurt us in many ways." On the state of the press, he noted it is in question, partly because the world's wealthiest individuals own outlets like the Washington Post and Twitter. When asked about the state of democracy in the United States, he replied with humor that the country might currently be in a "kakistocracy"—a rule by the least competent people:
"But we will get through this. In 2028, we will have a return to a certain degree of normality."
The storm surrounding Ruffalo began on August 21, when the actor questioned the massive deal, linking the Ellison family, Oracle, and Israel's military activity to the merger. He described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a genocide built on a system of oppression operated through Oracle. These remarks drew condemnation from Paramount, Noa Tishby, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who accused him of using antisemitic stereotypes. Conversely, Ruffalo received significant support, as over 170 prominent Jewish figures in the Hollywood entertainment industry signed a letter defending him, arguing that pointing out the links between events in the Gaza Strip and corporate interests in Hollywood is "the very essence of a Jewish ethical duty."
