June 13, 2019
Update: Jessica Biel posted a statement on Instagram early Thursday morning, writing that she is "not against vaccinations — I support children getting vaccinations," but that she is against the proposed California bill. "My concern with #SB277 is solely regarding medical exemptions."
On Wednesday, Jessica Biel found herself in the internet's crosshairs after a photo of the actress and anti-vaxxer activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. surfaced online.
The pair were photographed at the California State House in Sacramento, according to Kennedy's Instagram, where they were apparently working together to lobby against a proposed pro-vaccine bill in California. According to The Daily Beast, SB 276 "would limit medical exemptions from vaccinations without approval from a state public health officer." Jezebel first reported the photo.
In his caption, Kennedy called Biel "courageous."
The Beast reports that Kennedy is a noted anti-vaxxer who had previously touted debunked claims about the effects of vaccinations on children. (Many of the claims made by anti-vaxxers, like the idea that they are linked to autism, have been fiercely rebutted by the medical community, as well as the CDC.)
Biel, who shares 4-year-old son Silas with husband Justin Timberlake, has not publicly shared her own position on vaccines, however her alignment with Kennedy has led Twitter to assume that she is also an anti-vaxxer.
Kennedy told the Daily Beast that Biel is "upset about this issue because of its particular cruelty," adding, "She has friends who have been vaccine-injured who would be forced to leave the state.” There have also been previous tabloid reports that she and Timberlake had no plans to vaccinate their son.
The vaccine debate has been raging in the past few months, especially as communities in the Washington state and parts of Brooklyn face measles outbreaks.
Not unexpectedly, Twitter users had thoughts, sharing criticisms and jokes about the actress's controversial opinions.
