California AG scraps Paramount settlement meeting over leak dispute
What's next: The multistate lawsuit seeking to block Paramount's roughly $110 billion deal is still headed toward a March trial.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta canceled a Monday settlement meeting with Paramount after accusing the company of leaking and misrepresenting confidential talks tied to its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta said his office met with Paramount on Friday and concluded the company had not negotiated in good faith. Paramount denied being the source of the leaks and said it remained ready to continue discussions. Bonta is leading 11 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit filed in July to stop the deal on antitrust grounds. The states argue the transaction would create a media giant with outsized control over film and basic TV programming. Paramount has defended the acquisition and called the suit a flawed view of competition.