Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan defended actor Mark Ruffalo in a letter. The filmmaker called the accusations against Ruffalo a “cynical and disgusting lie.” Lonergan, who has been friends with Ruffalo for 30 years, pushed back against accusations against him.
Kenneth Lonergan defended Mark Ruffalo against accusations of antisemitism in a public letter
The Manchester by the Sea director Kenneth Lonergan wrote a letter to The Hollywood Reporter in support of Mark Ruffalo. He wrote, “I have no problem with anybody who wants to contest Mark’s – or anyone’s – ideas. But like all such deflections, the tissue-paper accusations levied at him by his targets lead directly back to the soft places in their own positions, which they can’t or won’t defend by actually addressing what he has to say. It’s an old trick, and a sorry one.”
Ruffalo reportedly linked the billionaire Ellison family to Israel’s effort in Gaza. On his Instagram, he called the conflict a “genocide” that “was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle.” The actor added that Paramount CEO David Ellison’s father was “crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world for their own power and concentrated dominance.”
Paramount called his comments “a bridge too far” in a lengthy statement criticizing the actor.
Lonergan also addressed Paramount’s official statement regarding the matter in his letter. The filmmaker said that “Mark Ruffalo has been talking about Israel since long before the Gaza war. Apart from some routine social media ping- ponging, nobody serious I know of had accused him of antisemitism. Now Paramount has done just that, in the face of his sustained attacks on David Ellison and the upcoming Paramount merger.”
He added, “The notion that he is antisemitic is overtly preposterous, and the accusation itself a cynical and disgusting lie. I wish the Simon Wiesenthal Center, at least, would review his remarks and their own response, and clarify where exactly they detect any antisemitism.” While Lonergan disagrees with many of Ruffalo’s positions, he rejected the accusation of antisemitism in his letter.
Ruffalo is known for raising his voice against environmental, political, and anti-war issues. His recent statements involving the Ellison family have sparked controversy.
