Jane Fonda Discusses Her Opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

Jane Fonda has long utilized her celebrity status to advocate for causes she believes are vital to workers, consumers, and the entertainment industry. At 88, she remains steadfast in her activism, recently addressing one of Hollywood’s significant business conflicts during her appearance at the Venice Film Festival.

Fonda was honored at the DVF Awards, a charity event hosted by designer Diane von Furstenberg that celebrates remarkable women, alongside other honorees like Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and French feminist icon Gisèle Pelicot. Before the ceremony, she spoke candidly with a group of journalists about her views on the merger.

When asked about her stance on the ongoing Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, Fonda articulated her concerns, describing the deal as detrimental to consumers, workers, and creatives. “I am hopeful that we can stop it,” she stated, outlining her worries in detail.

“They’re carrying so much debt. The Ellisons are carrying so much debt, and you know it’s being postponed now, so that they have to pay these huge sums,” Fonda told Variety. “The merger would be terrible for consumers. Prices would go up. Thousands and thousands of people would lose their jobs. And as a creative, the fewer studios there are, the fewer places that we can take our products. We lose bargaining power. Unions lose their power.”

What makes Fonda’s opposition particularly noteworthy is her personal affection for Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, whose company financed her Netflix series ‘Grace and Frankie’ throughout its seven-year run. She made it clear that her feelings for him do not influence her position on the merger.

“It’s sad for me because I like David Ellison very much,” Fonda explained. “David’s Skydance financed ‘Grace and Frankie,’ my seven-year-long run for Netflix, and I got to know him, and I like him. But that doesn’t change things. This is not a personal thing. This is what it will do to the entertainment industry, which is already suffering terribly.”

Fonda also reflected on how her late ex-husband, CNN founder Ted Turner, might react to the potential absorption of Paramount by the network he established. She suggested that Turner would be “terribly upset” by the situation, drawing a parallel to his own hesitance decades ago when he sold his media holdings despite initial reluctance.

The discussion also included actor Mark Ruffalo, who has faced accusations of antisemitism for his comments regarding the merger. Fonda defended him, asserting that the accusations are more about silencing dissent than genuine concern.

She pointed to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, claiming that his objection to Ruffalo’s stance, rather than any antisemitic behavior, fueled the criticism. Fonda views this dynamic as part of a troubling trend in Hollywood that necessitates collective resistance rather than isolated actions.

Beyond the merger, Fonda shared updates on her acting career, revealing that Lionsgate’s ‘The Correspondent,’ an adaptation of Virginia Evans’ bestselling novel, is nearing the final stages of pre-production, with filming potentially starting as early as January, depending on the director’s schedule. After a five-year hiatus from acting, she expressed her longing to immerse herself in character work, even as her activism continues to take center stage.

As the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal progresses amidst what Fonda describes as a growing resistance movement, her statements contribute another prominent voice to the ongoing debate about the industry’s future.

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