Former Paramount chair Shari Redstone says Trump-CBS lawsuit settlement was the 'right decision'

Media executive Shari Redstone expressed support on Wednesday for Paramount's decision to settle a lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump, agreeing to pay $16 million over a contentious 60 Minutes interview. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT summit in New York City, Redstone noted that she did not participate in the board's deliberations, citing a potential conflict of interest that led her to recuse herself.

The lawsuit claimed that CBS had manipulated the interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris to favor the Democratic Party in the election. Critics suggested the settlement may have helped smooth regulatory approval for Paramount's $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which shortly afterward received the Federal Communications Commissions authorization.

Redstone departed Paramount following the completion of the merger, ending her familys long-standing control over the company. She commented on the ongoing trend of media consolidation, noting it is reducing the number of independent studios while creating larger entities capable of dominating both theatrical and streaming markets amid competition from deep-pocketed tech firms.

In recent developments, Warner Bros Discovery has announced it is open to acquisition bids, with Paramount Skydance, Netflix, and Comcast reportedly showing interest. Redstone stated that consolidation will continue but did not speculate on who might ultimately acquire Warner Bros Discovery.

Outside of Paramount, Redstone has invested in and assumed the chairmanship of Israeli studio Sipur, which focuses on producing high-quality content on moderate budgets in collaboration with international partners. Since its founding in 2019, the studio has seen rapid growth due to this approach.

Author: Riley Thompson