"Go f--- yourself": George Clooney Slams ABC and CBS Over Trump Lawsuit Settlements
George Clooney slams ABC and CBS for settling Trump lawsuits, calling it a blow to media independence. Learn about the $31M settlements and the Bari Weiss controversy.
They chose silence over a fight. Hollywood A-lister George Clooney isn't holding back on why he thinks the legal surrenders of ABC and CBS are dangerous for democracy. In a Variety cover story published December 30, 2025, Clooney lashed out at media giants for folding in the face of President Donald Trump, asserting that their refusal to challenge lawsuits has led the country to its current precarious state.
Why George Clooney Slams Trump Lawsuit Settlements and $31M Payoffs
Clooney’s frustration stems from a series of high-profile legal settlements. ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library in December 2024 to settle a defamation suit. Months later, Paramount paid $16 million to resolve a dispute over 60 Minutes' editing of an interview with Kamala Harris. "If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, 'Go f--- yourself,' we wouldn't be where we are," Clooney told the outlet, calling the moves a betrayal of journalistic integrity.
The Skydance Era and the Transformation of CBS News
The concern extends beyond cash. Clooney pointed to David Ellison’s takeover of Paramount through Skydance Media as a turning point. He specifically criticized the hiring of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief in October, claiming she is "dismantling CBS News" to make it more MAGA-friendly. Weiss recently faced internal backlash for spiking a segment on Trump's deportation policies, a move veteran correspondents deemed "political."
Late-Night Resistance in a Shifting Media Landscape
While Stephen Colbert saw his show axed following criticisms of the settlements, other late-night hosts are digging in. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers have all signed contract extensions through 2027 and 2028. Despite Trump's repeated calls for their removal, these hosts remain the last bastions of mainstream televised dissent. Clooney noted the difficulty of discerning reality without a functioning press but urged a positive, forward-moving response.
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