Shari Redstone, who previously held a significant stake in CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, indicated that Paramount reached an agreement with former President Donald Trump. This was reported by The New York Times, which noted concerns within Trump’s legal team about potential findings during the discovery phase.
In July, Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million to resolve a lawsuit related to a “60 Minutes” interview featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris. Redstone mentioned to the NYT that she believes President Joe Biden seems exhausted and should address some questions during an interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Perry scheduled for October 2023.
Redstone and her son are reportedly worried that CBS might face accusations of trying to obscure Biden’s challenges. She told the NYT that the situation is more complex than it might seem at first glance.
The NYT also shared that an individual who spoke with someone assessing the raw footage felt Redstone’s concerns were overstated, suggesting that Biden appeared “tired” but wouldn’t require editing.
Paramount stated that, aside from legal expenses, the payment will be directed to Trump’s future presidential library and that they plan to release a transcript of a forthcoming “60 Minutes” interview with a presidential candidate. However, the settlement did not involve any admission of wrongdoing.
Trump had previously filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News in October 2024, alleging manipulation of the interview with Harris—an action that escalated to a $20 billion claim in February. He accused CBS News of engaging in “intentional deception” by editing out part of Harris’ responses regarding Israel to favor her campaign.
In February, the Federal Communications Commission released an unedited version of the interview after initiating an inquiry triggered by Commissioner Brendan Kerr. The entire footage displayed radically different answers from those shown by the network.
During an interview, “60 Minutes” journalist Bill Whitaker asked Harris about U.S. relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After airing, Harris’s reply included a broader context than what CBS presented. Trump’s lawsuit suggested the case crossed the line from news reporting to misleading manipulation by omitting significant portions of her answer.
Some analysts view the settlement as a strategic move by Paramount, especially considering its ongoing efforts for an $8 billion merger with SkyDance Media. Redstone told the NYT she was unsure how this resolution would impact those negotiations.
Meanwhile, in December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump for $15 million after a host erroneously claimed Trump had a role in a rape incident. Trump also filed lawsuits in July against numerous parties including two reporters and Rupert Murdoch, relating to another case associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
CBS and Paramount did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
