Joel Coen, Wallace Shawn, and more than 170 Jewish figures have signed an open letter in support of Mark Ruffalo. The MCU star recently found himself at the center of a controversy after Paramount accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes.
Numerous renowned personalities, including Coen, Shawn, Todd Haynes, Ilana Glazer, Hannah Einbinder, James Schamus, Emma Seligman, Tony Kushner, Jane Schoenbrun, Amy Ziering, Anat Matar, Andrea Weiss, Andrue Kahn, Anjuli Kronheim Katz, Anna Pollack, Anthony Arnove, and Ariel Friedlander, among others, have signed a letter in support of Ruffalo, reports Variety.
The supporters claim that Paramount’s antisemitic accusations against Ruffalo are nothing but part of a “smear campaign”. The letter comes after Ruffalo’s public clash with Paramount Skydance over its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
What does the letter defending Mark Ruffalo say?
The letter from over 170 Jewish figures completely sides with Mark Ruffalo in the ongoing controversy. It condemns what the signatories describe as the “false and dangerous weaponization of charges of antisemitism.”
“We are Jewish artists, writers, creative professionals, faith leaders and thinkers who have, in response to the outrageous smear campaign against our respected colleague Mark Ruffalo,” reads the letter.
“Pointing out the crucial connections between what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Hollywood is the exact opposite of antisemitism,” the letter adds while countering the accusations. It highlights Ruffalo’s comments about the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal and the Ellison family’s connections to Israel. “It is, for us, the very essence of Jewish ethical duty.”
Besides the letter, actress and comedian Ilana Glazer, one of the signatories, also issued a statement. “Calling Mark Ruffalo antisemitic because he is questioning a massive corporate merger is not only absurd—it’s a dangerous way to shut down legitimate criticism,” she said.
Glazer mentioned that Ruffalo has always stood up for “Palestinian rights and dignity for all people. It’s an American’s right to debate media consolidation and the dangers of monopolized corporate power without weaponizing antisemitism to bully people into silence.”
A few days back, various other notable personalities, including Oscar winner Kenneth Lonergan and Jane Fonda, also defended Ruffalo.
Originally reported by Mintu Kumar Tomar on ComingSoon.net.
