Who is Shari Redstone? All about Paramount Global shareholder at the center of Trump's lawsuit against CBS' '60 Minutes'

It's all eyes on Shari Redstone, the president of National Amusements Inc. and controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, as she faces an impossible decision amid Trump's lawsuit against CBS's 60 Minutes.

For the unversed, Paramount Global owns CBS, which produces 60 Minutes. Redstone is currently trying to sell her company for $8 billion to Skydance Media, though they are awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is currently being run by the Trump administration, i.e., Brendan Carr in particular.

Trump is currently suing the iconic show for $20 billion, alleging “election interference." He took issue with the version of the interview with Kamala Harris aired last year. At the time, the show cut down the segment from 45 minutes to 21 minutes, the same way it did with him during his 2020 campaign.

As for who Shari Redstone is, she is the non-executive chairwoman of Paramount Global, as well as the chairwoman, president, and CEO of National Amusements Inc. She is also the former vice chair of CBS Corporation and Viacom. The 71-year-old is the daughter of Sumner Redstone, a media tycoon. Time Magazine named Redstone one of the world's 100 most influential persons in 2020. She also came up at number 37 on Forbes' list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" in 2023.

Through National Amusements Inc., Redstone holds majority voting power over Paramount Global and its subsidiaries—CBS, Comedy Central, BET, Showtime Networks, Nickelodeon, MTV, and the film studio Paramount Pictures.

Everything we know about Shari Redstone's current predicament

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the future of 60 Minutes currently hangs in the balance, and the show took a hit just recently when longtime executive producer Bill Owens stepped down, citing interference from his corporate overlords.

In response, anchor Scott Pelley spent the final minute of Sunday's episode calling out his Paramount bosses, saying:

“No one here is happy about it. But in resigning, Bill proved one thing — he was the right person to lead 60 Minutes all along.”

Just hours after Owens announced his departure from the network, Jake Tapper took to CNN to launch into a seven-minute tirade against Redstone,

“It seems as if Shari Redstone is likely to bend the knee to Trump and settle. Hope the money’s worth it, Shari!”

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, among all suitors interested in purchasing Paramount, including Warner Bros., Sony, Barry Diller, and Byron Allen, Skydance, which is run by David Ellison, is the only one that vowed to keep the company whole, though this remains to be seen.

Trending

Shari Redstone is now confronted by a tough situation: She either caves to Trump and settles his suit, though this would blow up 60 Minutes and the notion of a free press. Or, fight him, which could blow up her merger with Skydance.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback