Paramount’s Billion-Dollar Shuffle, Disney’s Magic Money Machine, and Blake Lively vs. the Internet—Nothing to See Here, Just Hollywood Being Emotionally Stable as Always.
- Jessica Ramirez
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
This week in Hollywood: Paramount casually rewrites the media landscape, Disney prints cash like it’s Monopoly night, and Blake Lively sparks a legal drama juicier than any reboot. Sanity? Never heard of her.
If you thought Hollywood was taking a summer vacation, think again. This week’s celebrity business news reads like a rejected pilot script: billion-dollar power plays, streaming showdowns, and a courtroom drama starring Blake Lively. Let’s unpack the chaos—and yes, we brought receipts.
Paramount + Skydance = Big Media Energy
After what feels like a Netflix series worth of negotiations, Paramount Global finally closed its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. That’s right—David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison and the new CEO, is now officially the boss of the house that Viacom built.
Skydance isn’t just bringing money—they’re bringing a machete. Expect $2 billion in cost-cutting, layoffs, tech investments in AI, better streaming algorithms (algorithmic Tom Cruise, anyone?), and maybe even a gaming expansion. Rumors are swirling that Oracle might target TikTok U.S. next, because why not casually acquire a global social media platform?
Meanwhile, former Paramount execs are packing up their corner offices, and industry watchers are nervously eyeing Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal for who might get acquired next. Are we watching the death of old-school Hollywood or just its reboot?
Disney Prints Streaming Gold and Raises Its Profit Forecast
Disney is straight-up flexing. Streaming, once the black hole of corporate losses, is now paying dividends—literally.
Disney+ and Hulu added 2.6 million subscribers, bringing the total to a cool 183 million. Streaming posted a profit of $346 million, compared to a loss last year. Meanwhile, theme park profits jumped 13% to $2.5 billion. And in the biggest sports flex of the year, ESPN is launching its own standalone service on August 21—for $29.99/month. Oh, and the NFL just bought a 10% stake in it.
Legacy TV? It’s dying a quiet, ratings-starved death, but no one’s crying. The Mouse House has spoken: streaming and parks are the future, and if you're not on the ride, you're getting left behind.
Blake Lively vs. Perez Hilton: Blog Posts and Lawsuits
And in this week’s Hollywood drama that should’ve been a Netflix docuseries—Blake Lively has lawyered up. She’s going after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, accusing him of publishing over 500 posts aimed at discrediting her during her legal feud with Justin Baldoni.
Apparently, Hilton even created a Blake-specific subpage to catalog the slander, which Lively claims is part of a broader smear campaign. Enter Candace Owens, who’s also named in the mess, though both Owens and Hilton say it’s “a circus” and want the case tossed.
The Lively v. Baldoni lawsuit centers around allegations of sexual harassment on set. This could get uglier than a rebooted reality show reunion—except it’s very real, and very litigious.
It's a wild, chaotic, very entertaining time to follow entertainment industry news. If you’re wondering who’s steering the ship, just assume it’s someone with a streaming platform, a legal team, and a billion-dollar plan—or at least, a really good PR strategy.
Stay tuned for updates and more in-depth coverage of your favorite celebrities and entertainment news! Create a free membership account with us today!
Follow | @diaanimedia
Dia'ani TV | Stream. Enjoy. Repeat.
References
Business Insider. Paramount's deal with Skydance is finally closed: Here are 6 questions for its new owners. Link
The Times UK. Walt Disney raises profit outlook as it cuts reliance on legacy TV. Link
Page Six. Blake Lively rips blogger Perez Hilton for posting more than 500 'disparaging' stories about Justin Baldoni feud. Link
celebrity business news, Paramount Skydance merger, David Ellison CEO, Disney streaming profits, Disney+ subscriber growth, ESPN streaming service, Blake Lively Perez Hilton lawsuit, celebrity lawsuits 2025, Hollywood business deals, entertainment industry news, Skydance Oracle deal, Disney theme park profits, celebrity legal drama, Justin Baldoni controversy, Perez Hilton backlash, media mergers 2025, entertainment corporate shakeups, streaming wars, celebrity feud news, Candace Owens lawsuit
Kommentare