Paramount Skydance chief legal counsel Makan Delrahim said in a Los Angeles Times interview that some critics of the company’s proposed $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery are driven by “antisemitic views,” a comment that intensified the public debate surrounding one of Hollywood’s biggest pending media deals. The remarks came as opposition to the merger has grown, with more than 5,500 filmmakers, actors and other entertainment professionals signing an open letter against the transaction. House Democrats have also asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to closely examine the deal.
Delrahim framed the merger as a benefit to the entertainment industry, arguing that it would create more jobs and bring new creative energy to the combined company. He praised David Ellison, who leads Paramount Skydance, as a filmmaker who understands the creative side of Hollywood. Delrahim also accused some Washington critics of mounting a political campaign against the merger, saying regulators would see through what he described as fear-mongering.
The executive did not identify specific opponents or provide details supporting his claim that some critics were motivated by antisemitism. Variety said it had contacted Paramount for clarification. The controversy comes amid broader industry tensions over Middle East-related issues. In September 2025, Film Workers for Palestine circulated a pledge calling on signatories not to work with Israeli film institutions that it said were implicated in genocide and apartheid against Palestinians. Paramount later condemned that pledge, saying it silenced individual artists based on nationality. The group said its campaign targeted companies and institutions, not individual Israelis.
The interview also touched on the role of Ellison family ties and political scrutiny surrounding the deal. Larry Ellison, David Ellison’s father and a major financial backer of the merger, has been described as a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a donor to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Delrahim denied that Paramount had any commitment from President Donald Trump or his administration to approve the acquisition, saying there are “no deals with the president.”
On antitrust concerns, Delrahim said Paramount is preparing for possible legal challenges from California and elsewhere but argued that regulators will not find a violation if they examine the facts, law and economics of the transaction. He said the merged company could strengthen streaming competition by combining assets such as Paramount+ and HBO Max, which he said lack the scale to compete effectively with Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. He also suggested the deal could create synergies in news programming, including for CNN and CBS News.
Paramount previously said the proposed acquisition cleared a milestone at the Justice Department after the waiting period expired following its compliance filing. Still, federal officials have said the transaction will not receive special treatment because of political connections. Delrahim, who joined Paramount as chief legal counsel in October 2025, previously advised Skydance on the acquisition and earlier led the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division during Donald Trump’s first term.
