Rob Bonta Responds to Paramount Threat to Leave California
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta remains firm on the antitrust suit aimed at blocking Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, despite Paramount’s threat to leave the state if a settlement isn’t reached.
- Bonta emphasized that Paramount’s potential departure is the company’s decision alone and highlighted that multiple states, including Texas and Tennessee, are actively courting Paramount.
- He criticized Paramount’s demand for a nearly $1.9 billion bond as a tactic to gain leverage, expressing confidence that the judge will side with the state, even though the Trump DOJ supports Paramount.
- Although a settlement conference is scheduled for next month, Bonta confirmed he is open to negotiations if they are conducted in good faith and align with the state’s desired outcomes.
- Bonta characterized the lawsuit as a straightforward antitrust case, downplaying its political implications and stressing the state’s commitment to enforcing the law impartially.
