Robert De Niro defended the anti-vaccine documentary he pulled from the Tribeca Film Festival Wednesday.
(Photo: Getty Images)
The 72-year-old actor — who has a son with autism — pulled “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up To Catastrophe” after other filmmakers threatened to leave the festival.
During an interview on the Today show Wednesday, he said people should still see it. (RELATED: Robert De Niro Storms Out Of Interview)
“There was a backlash, which I haven’t fully explored, and I will,” De Niro said. “But I didn’t want it to start affecting the festival in ways I couldn’t see.”
“I think the movie is something that people should see,” he added.
“There’s a lot of information about things that are happening with the CDC, the pharmaceutical companies, there’s a lot of things that are not said,” De Niro added. “I, as a parent of a child who has autism, I’m concerned. And I want to know the truth. I’m not anti-vaccine. I want safe vaccines.” (RELATED: Olivia Wilde Says Donald Trump Is ‘Really Sickening’)
(Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
When Geist pointed out that an overwhelming amount of research concludes there is no link between vaccines and autism, De Niro said more research should be done.
“It’s much more complicated than that. There is a link, and they’re saying there isn’t but there are certain things. I don’t know — I’m not a scientist. Let’s just find out the truth.”
“There are many people who will come out and say, ‘No, I saw my kid change overnight. I saw what happened, and I should have done something and I didn’t.’ There’s more to this than meets the eye, believe me.”
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