Paramount has paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump over a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump claimed the interview, which aired in October, was deceptively edited. The settlement was confirmed in a court filing on Tuesday, which showed that both Trump and CBS agreed to dismiss the lawsuit.
Trump announced the payment on Truth Social, calling it a significant win and stating that he expects to receive an additional $20 million from the new owners of Paramount. Paramount has denied making any further commitments beyond the settlement terms.
Paramount is currently seeking regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The FCC missed its informal 180-day review deadline in mid-May, but Chair Brendan Carr said the Trump lawsuit had no impact on the timing of the agency’s decision.
Skydance and its investors plan to acquire National Amusements, the company that holds the controlling stake in Paramount. After the acquisition, Skydance will be merged into Paramount, and Skydance CEO David Ellison will take over as chief executive of the combined company.
The New York Post had reported that Ellison agreed to run up to $20 million in public service announcements supporting causes backed by the president. Paramount issued a statement following the report, saying the settlement does not include PSAs and that the company is not aware of any promises made to Trump except those included in the mediated agreement.
