Jessica Biel is clarifying her stance on vaccinations!
People weren’t exactly pleased to see the actress meet with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chairman of the anti-vaccination group Children’s Health Defense, and Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, at the California State House recently.
While it was never clear why Biel met with lobbyists in the first place, the move sparked backlash online from fans who immediately called out the former 7th Heaven star as a just another careless, anti-vaxxer in Hollywood.
But now Jessica is speaking out about why she did it!
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On Thursday, the 37-year-old took to Instagram to speak with her followers directly, and set the record straight about her opposition to SB277, a CA state bill which would limit medical exemptions from vaccines.
In the caption of her post (above), she said:
“This week I went to Sacramento to talk to legislators in California about a proposed bill. I am not against vaccinations — I support children getting vaccinations and I also support families having the right to make educated medical decisions for their children alongside their physicians.”
Justin Timberlake’s wife went on to say that her concern with the new legislature is rooted in a personal issue that involves one of her closest friends:
“My concern with #SB277 is solely regarding medical exemptions. My dearest friends have a child with a medical condition that warrants an exemption from vaccinations, and should this bill pass, it would greatly affect their family’s ability to care for their child in this state. That’s why I spoke to legislators and argued against this bill. Not because I don’t believe in vaccinations, but because I believe in giving doctors and the families they treat the ability to decide what’s best for their patients and the ability to provide that treatment.”
Miz Biel concluded her post with a call to action, asking everyone to do their research on SB277 and continue the conversation about it.
“I encourage everyone to read more on this issue and to learn about the intricacies of #SB277. Thank you to everyone who met with me this week to engage in this important discussion!”
Hmm. Sounds like a pretty safe, PR-driven answer to us. And considering her personal stake in the matter, we can’t exactly fault her for using her celeb status to help out a dear friend, right?
Or can we?
See here’s the thing: when you use your huge platform to support something as controversial as not vaccinating children, for any reason at all, you’re going to get some pushback.
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As we told you, the advocacy group, which RFK Jr. is the chairman of, alleges that children with neurological disorders such as autism are exposed to the condition because of vaccines, despite vast medical evidence to the contrary.
So while Jess may not support that part of RFK’s cause, and may have had good intentions initially, it’s just a little hard to disassociate her with the movement now.
Welcome to #caleg, @RobertKennedyJr and @JessicaBiel! Thank you for taking the time to chat about your opposition to #SB276. #caleg #NoOnSB276 pic.twitter.com/AkkWRbPSJk
— Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) June 12, 2019
Ya know, especially considering sources close to her previously revealed that she was once very adamant about her son, Silas Randall Timberlake, skipping his own mandatory shots. So, there’s that.
What do YOU guys think about all this? Tell us how you feel in the comments (below)!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
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