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yesterday

Trump Rejects Paramount’s $15M Offer in ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit as Skydance Merger Looms

Heightened demands for a larger payout are threatening Paramount’s bid for FCC approval of its Skydance merger.

Paramount Global logo is seen in this illustration taken December 17, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Image
Shari Redstone attends Paramount Pictures & DreamWorks Pictures host the premiere of "Ghost in the Shell" (Credit: Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Lexie Moreland/Variety; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Overview

  • Paramount Global proposed a $15 million settlement for Trump’s $20 billion suit over the edited Harris interview, but the former president has turned it down and is pressing for more than $25 million plus a CBS apology.
  • Major shareholder Shari Redstone has recused herself from the talks as Paramount pursues FCC clearance for its $8 billion Skydance Media merger while regulators probe CBS News’s editing practices.
  • Paramount board members worry that any payment could be construed as a bribe, exposing the company to potential civil or criminal liability because their D&O insurance excludes bribery claims.
  • Legal experts widely dismiss Trump’s case as meritless and protected by the First Amendment, and CBS News maintains it routinely edits for time without altering substance.
  • The dispute has already driven out key CBS News leaders, including “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens and network president Wendy McMahon.