Key facts
- Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is seeking to distance himself from partisan politics.
- Ellison is facing a lawsuit from 12 Democratic states attempting to block his Warner Bros. Discovery deal.
- In a New York Times op-ed, Ellison defended the deal and stated his political views align with most Americans.
- Ellison has previously engaged with Donald Trump, attending his State of the Union address and UFC matches.
- Critics cite Ellison's actions, such as appointing Bari Weiss to head CBS News, as politically motivated.
- Paramount argues the merger is necessary for competition and that the lawsuit's concerns are unfounded.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is attempting to distance himself from partisan politics following a lawsuit from 12 Democratic states seeking to block his Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Ellison, who previously courted President Donald Trump for approval of the deal, published an opinion piece in The New York Times defending his business intentions and clarifying his political stance.
In the op-ed, Ellison stated that speculation about his politics, loyalties, and intentions has arisen. He asserted that his political views are "just like most Americans," encompassing both conservative and liberal perspectives, and that he has "regularly voted for candidates of both parties." This comes as his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, a longtime Trump supporter, backed the Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Public records indicate David Ellison has donated over $900,000 to a fund supporting Joe Biden's 2024 presidential campaign.
The messaging shift contrasts with Ellison's recent actions, which included hosting a dinner honoring the Trump White House and attending multiple UFC matches with Trump. Critics have pointed to actions such as installing Bari Weiss as the head of CBS News and canceling the show of Trump critic Stephen Colbert as politically motivated. Paramount, however, maintains these decisions were for business reasons.
Ellison argued in his op-ed that the proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is essential for Paramount to compete with tech giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, whose resources significantly exceed theirs. The states suing to halt the acquisition contend that the combined company would gain too much power over theatrical distribution and cable channel licensing, thereby limiting competition. Ellison countered that the merged entity would be strong enough to compete but would not be able to dictate audience choices or writer compensation.