California Attorney General Rob Bonta intensified his criticism of Paramount Global on Tuesday, accusing the company of prioritizing "the court of public opinion instead of the court of law" in its $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta expressed confidence that the antitrust lawsuit filed last month by 11 other state attorneys general will succeed, which he said explains Paramount's eagerness to discuss settlement terms. Bonta canceled a planned Monday meeting after a Wall Street Journal report disclosed a prior Friday meeting, blaming Paramount for the leak — a charge the company denied. Bonta remains open to talks but demands Paramount "put a lid on the leaks" and engage sincerely.

Pressure is mounting from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to reach an agreement. Starting Oct. 1, Paramount must pay Warner shareholders roughly $650 million quarterly until closing; a March trial could push payments past $1 billion. Paramount has signaled it may relocate to Tennessee if no deal is reached.

Bonta insists the merger requires significant structural remedies, dismissing Paramount's pledge to release 30 movies annually as insufficient. He cited concerns over market power in cable and film, potential divestiture of cable channels, and a study warning of up to 10,000 job losses and billions in economic impact. Bonta denied political motives, calling it a "straight-up" antitrust case, and suggested Paramount may have offered concessions to theater chains to encourage settlement — a claim Paramount declined to address.