Gavin Newsom and Mark Ruffalo haven’t patched things up since David Ellison’s contentious mega-bucks Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery merger was approved and completed earlier this month. The deep rift between the once pals could end up haunting the outgoing California governor as Newsom ponders a much-anticipated bid for the White House in 2028.
“Ruffalo has a gained lot of sway with (Democratic) party activists fighting the Ellisons,” a Hollywood political operative tells Deadline Wednesday as the Task actor launched another missive against the potential candidate. “Targeting Newsom as a billionaire friendly candidate will hurt him with the base, make him (look) out of touch.”
A week after the Ellison and Ynon Kreiz-run Skydance officially became one of the town’s biggest players, Ruffalo took to social media today to lambaste the proudly centrist Newsom.
Bristling at the term-limited Governor’s resistance to the popular Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax that is on next month’s ballot, the Marvel vet wrote: “Once again. Just like the Paramount Merger Gavin Newsom does what he always does. Sells out the working class people for the billionaires again and again. Not only that but endorses a bill that will make it impossible to tax the wealthy at all.”
Once again. Just like the Paramount Merger Gavin Newsom does what he always does. Sells out the working class people for the billionaires again and again. Not only that but endorses a bill that will make it impossible to tax the wealthy at all.https://t.co/YCLE9ZrYnJ
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 14, 2026
As well as being against the progressive backed Prop 40, Newsom came out recently for Proposition 42. Also on the midterms ballot, the measure backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin and a group of other anti-Prop 40 California tycoons aims to “ban any new state tax” on personal property. On the chance Prop 40 passes, Prop 42 also effectively neuters the other measure by preventing any new retroactive tax, as 40 does.
The stance has seen Newsom, who warns the passage of Prop 40 could see an exodus of the super rich from California, mocked and dismissed by fellow Democrats.
In a video that went viral online, high profile progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) insisted pleasing deep-pocked donors and tech lords was “the only reason” Newsom was against Prop 40. “You can’t be anti-Trump and then do the bidding of Trump donors,” Khanna said, taking a swipe at Newsom’s attention getting trolling of the former Apprentice host.
“Mamdani has shown us, Trump’s return, the wars …things have changed,” an industry insider who has been a long-time donor to Democrats nationally and regionally asserts with a name drop of the Democratic Socialists of America NYC Mayor. “The Clinton playbook of 1992 won’t work in 2028. Democrats have been radicalized. They want real change, like Republicans in 2016.”
Newsom has not formally unveiled if he is running for President, saying he will make a decision after the midterms. However, from his Trump bashing, trips to key primary states and attempts to make sure Kamala Harris doesn’t enter the race, the governor has made it pretty clear what’s next for him.
The Governor’s office did not respond today to Deadline’s request for comment on Ruffalo’s remarks.
Ruffalo raged against the Para-WBD merger over the last year, and was one of the loudest voices up to final days before a settlement was reached in state Attorneys General antitrust suit against the Ellisons.
After the settlement was made public, Rufallo called the Trump approved merger a “bad deal for this country.” In the process, Ruffalo accused of being antisemitic in response by some, and defended by other A-listers. Still, in one of the surest signs of how transactional the industry is, the Emmy winner will be back on the now Skydance-owned HBO in 2027 for a second season of the acclaimed crime drama Task.