Billionaire media mogul Shari Redstone has defended the settlement reached with Donald Trump in the CBS lawsuit over 60 Minutes, calling it a “no-brainer” and expressing relief at the lower-than-expected payment of $16 million.
Redstone made her comments to The New York Times, revealing that she was surprised by the final number and had been subject to criticism for agreeing to settle quickly. However, Redstone insisted that the decision was a strategic one, designed to bring the lawsuit to an end and pave the way for the sale of CBS to Skydance.
The settlement, which ended a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Trump in Texas, contained no apology from Paramount but required the company to pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library. Redstone was pleased with the outcome, saying she was “blown away” by the final number and attributing her surprise to criticism from others.
The deal, which had been criticized for its timing, allowed the Skydance acquisition to move forward without major delay. The FCC approved the deal in late July after a meeting with Skydance CEO David Ellison.
Redstone’s comments have sparked debate among observers, who are questioning why she chose to settle so quickly despite potential repercussions on her public image. However, Redstone remains confident that she made the right decision for CBS and its employees, who were not required to make an apology as part of the settlement.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/08/shari-redstone-donald-trump-settlement-comments-cbs-1236491835