Here's what I don't get. If this genuinely had nothing to do with the Paramount settlement or the merger, then why did it come immediately after that? Wouldn't

Here's what I don't get. If this genuinely had nothing to do with the Paramount settlement or the merger, then why did it come immediately after that? Wouldn't a corporation that cares so much about optics want to at least wait a bit to give the impression these are unrelated, if they could? Is there a plausibly explanation here?