CBS owner Shari Redstone reveals cancer diagnosis amid Trump lawsuit

Daily Mail​

20 hours ago

Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone (pictured) revealed she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer amid her company's legal battle with Donald Trump. Redstone, 71, is a key decision maker at the media giant and is looking to settle with the president while she works to secure a corporate merger.
While surgeons removed her thyroid gland, some cancer cells remained as they had spread to her vocal cords. 'She is maintaining all professional and philanthropic activities throughout her treatment, which is ongoing. She and her family are grateful that her prognosis is excellent,' Redstone's spokesperson Molly Morse said. Redstone kept her diagnosis private, sharing it only with a tight circle of relatives, close friends, and advisers including David Ellison, the Skydance head and tech heir, whose company is set to purchase Paramount and her family's stake in the company.
Her diagnosis comes as Paramount is preparing for the $8.4 billion merger with Skydance while the company is also looking to settle a lawsuit with Trump. The 79-year-old president filed a lawsuit against CBS News in October 2024, accusing the network of manipulating the American public by deceptively editing the interview in a way that favored Kamala Harris and damaged his own image. Redstone wants to settle to stay on good terms with the President while waiting for FCC approval of a major deal and offer him $15 million, according to reports.
Insiders fear a payout, estimated to be up to $50 million, could be seen as a 'bribe' amid her plan to sell Paramount and CBS News, which is currently being reviewed by Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Meanwhile, the FCC has delayed approval of Redstone's plan to sell Paramount and CBS News to Skydance, an independent film company. Redstone's high-stakes decision comes amid warnings from both media insiders and high ranking Democrats like Bernie Sanders, who has also warned there could be further legal risks around settling the case against the backdrop of the Skydance deal.
Network insiders fear the settlement could backfire if the deal is seen as a payoff or bribe. Paramount's insurance doesn't cover bribery claims, despite typically protecting board members and executives from being held personally liable. Both the board and Redstone could face shareholder lawsuits, a criminal probe from a Trump-opposing prosecutor, and if Democrats win Congress - endless hearings that could drag this out even further.
Paramount maintains that the lawsuit has nothing to do with the $8 billion Skydance merger. 'This lawsuit is completely separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process,' the spokesperson said in a statement to the New York Post. 'We will abide by the legal process to defend our case.' Despite the warnings, 71-year-old Redstone seems ready to make her official move. With her wealth dwindling as Paramount's stock continues to slide, she's reportedly eager to 'move on with her life', The Post reported. If the deal goes through, Redstone could walk away with $2 billion - ultimately salvaging part of the fortune inherited from her father, late media mogul Sumner Redstone.