A plane flying a message sharply criticizing Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison for his close ties to President Donald Trump flew over the Paramount lot on Thursday around the same time that dueling rallies supporting and opposing the company’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery were held outside the studio headquarters.
The plane carried a banner reading “Ellison Is Trump’s B!tch!” and was seen and photographed by multiple employees on the lot, according to a source. The studio source also said that several employees were disgruntled by the sign, as they thought that the lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general to block the Warner acquisition was “about antitrust, not politics.”
California AG Rob Bonta has maintained that antitrust is indeed the purpose of his lawsuit in multiple interviews, noting that CNN, which has become a part of the public scrutiny surrounding the merger due to concerns that it could lead to editorial changes at the network similar to those at CBS News under Ellison-appointed chief Bari Weiss, is not mentioned at all in his legal challenge.
But the political implications of the merger have certainly influenced the battle over public perception of the merger as well as the coalitions that have emerged to oppose it. The members of the Block the Merger coalition, which held a rally outside the Paramount lot on Thursday, include the Committee for the First Amendment, which released a political sketch last spring warning that if the merger passes, CNN could be pressured by the Trump administration to change its coverage through its connections to Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, who was a major contributor to Trump’s presidential campaign.
Ellison has denied in a New York Times column that he plans to make editorial changes to CNN.
“I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views. I believe that news should be based on facts and truth,” Ellison wrote. “Great news organizations like CNN and CBS News are here to tell it straight down the middle. That requires newsrooms that reflect the whole world, not one side of it. And it requires independence. Our journalists will continue to answer to the facts and to all the people they serve – not to any party or cause.
Block the Merger’s rally included speeches from writer, actress and Committee for the First Amendment member Elyssa Phillips and Burbank city councilmembers Konstantine Anthony and Nikki Perez, who warned that the merger would lead to fewer entertainment options for the public and fewer employment opportunities for those in the industry.
“We’re here today to thank Rob Bonta and the 11 other state AGs who chose to stand up for people and workers, and to enforce antitrust law. We’re asking them to stand strong against Paramount’s pressure campaign,” Free Press co-CEO Jessica J. Gonzalez, said at the rally.
Block the Merger said through a spokesperson that it was not responsible for the plane.
At the same time, another group called the Neighbors for Strong Communities held its own press conference warning that failure to approve the merger would lead to damaging consequences for California’s economy, particularly if Paramount decides to move its headquarters to another state. Ellison has threatened to do that if a settlement is not reached with the AGs by Oct. 1, which is when a $7 million per day “ticking fee” must begin to be paid to Warner Bros. Discovery investors should the deal not be closed, as per the terms of the merger.
Several actors and business owners who rely on the entertainment industry for support spoke at the rally, including Claudia Wells, who played Jennifer Parker in “Back to the Future.”
“People who go to work for 12 or 14 hours a day so they can feed their family will have no job. And they won’t necessarily have another job to go to,” she said.
A spokesperson for Paramount declined to comment.
