Actor Robert De Niro has pulled out the anti-vaccine documentary entitled "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Conspiracy" from the Tribeca Film Festival. He is now accused of censorship due to his decision.
According to Herald Sun, the anti-vaccination documentary was supposed to be a part of the line-up of his film festival when it opens next month but it came under fire. The film was made by Andrew Wakefield and it centers on vaccines having a link to autism, although it has already been discredited.
Originally, De Niro defended the decision to include the film, saying he believed it was critical that all of the issues surrounding the "causes of autism be openly discussed and examined." However, by Saturday morning, he flipped his decision and said his Tribeca organizers reviewed it, adding that they no longer believe it contributes to the discussion he hoped for. The actor also said that the scientific community reviewed the film with him, Time reported.
De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower have a child with autism together. He noted that the issue of autism is deeply personal to him and his family, The Washington Post reported.
As for the accusations that he is controlling the film festival, he said that they do not seek to "avoid or shy away from controversy," but they have concerns with the flick over certain things and they feel that it will contribute to the prevention of presenting it in the Festival program.
In response to the non-inclusion of "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Conspiracy," Wakefield and the film's producer, Del Bigtree, released a statement saying that they were dismayed with the decision. They noted in their statement that the move is another example of "the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art, and truth."
The statement from Bigtree and Wakefield added that some people from an organization affiliated with the festival made "unspecified allegations against the film," which contributed to the documentary being pulled out.
