Jessica Biel takes anti-vaccination stance, joins Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lobby against California Vaccine Bill
Actress Jessica Biel has joined the controversial anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lobby against a California state pro-vaccine bill on Tuesday, as revealed by Kennedy Jr on his social media.
According to the Daily Beast, Biel, who has a son, has been working with Kennedy Jr, an environmental activist who is increasingly involved in discussing the safety of vaccines.
"Please say thank you to the courageous @jessicabiel for a busy and productive day at the California State House," Kennedy Jr posted on Tuesday with a series of pictures that also showed the duo talking with several legislators.
The duo had come together to lobby against SB 276, a California state bill that would limit medical exemption from vaccinations without approval from a state public health officer. The bill has been denounced by anti-vaxx advocates such as Kennedy himself, and even criticized by current Governor Gavin Newsom, over official estimates that the bill would reduce medical exemptions by nearly 40%.
Kennedy Jr refused to describe Biel as an anti-vaxxer since he rejects the label, which he deems is "pharmaceutical propaganda" and "a lie". Instead, he said that she is for "safe vaccines and for medical freedom," before repeating pro-choice advocates and saying "my body, my choice".
Their main issue with the bill, they say, is that it stems from what they deem bureaucratic 'red tape', which is essentially forcing children to receive vaccinations.
"The biggest problem with the bill, which is something I think Jessica is concerned with is that a doctor who has made a determination - if he has found children in this state whose doctors have determined that they're too fragile to receive vaccinations - this bill would overrule the doctors and force them to be vaccinated anyway," he explained.
"She was a very effective advocate. She was very strong and very knowledgeable. Extremely well-informed. An extremely effective advocate. She knows what she's talking about... She's upset about this issue because of its particular cruelty. She has friends who have been vaccine-injured who would be forced to leave the state," Kennedy said of the actress.
As a popular anti-vaccination activist, Kennedy Jr created a stir by writing articles and publishing books on how vaccinations cause autism - a claim that is refuted by scientists.
Biel's questionable views on vaccinations have been reported in the past, but were never confirmed. In 2015, a source In Touch Weekly said that Biel and husband Justin Timberlake would not vaccinate their child because "she feels that vaccination could cause complications."