As the Paramount-Warner Bros merger goes through, Bill Maher has a message for his new Skydance bosses.
On Friday’s episode of Real Time, the comedian pleaded with the Ellisons not to listen to their pal Trump’s criticism of him now that they own his show’s longtime home HBO.
“The merger went through. Paramount now owns Warner Discovery, which owns HBO, which owns my ass,” he said during his opening monologue. “Whoever owns me now, don’t believe what Trump is tweeting about me. Did you see what he said about me this weekend? He said my ratings are so low, ‘it’s just sad.’”
Maher continued, “You know what, Mr. President? Your insults don’t bother me. Make up whatever shit you want about me, just don’t mention I went to Cornell.”
On Wednesday, a federal judge cleared the way for the $110 billion deal to close, approving the settlement between Paramount and a group of state AGs that filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
CEO David Ellison revealed on Friday that the combined company will now be known as Skydance, under which Paramount and Warner Bros. will supposedly remain individual entities.