In light of the Tribeca Film Festival starting on Apr. 19, Robert De Niro paid a visit to The Today Show to discuss the event that he, himself, co-founded.
Among the subjects in question was the controversy surrounding Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Conspiracy, which was pulled from the festival’s line-up.
The film, which explores the subject of vaccinating ourselves and our children, investigates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency’s studies suggest that vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella do not cause autism. In fact, many people and advocacy groups feel those vaccinations may be one cause of autism, among other causes.
Due to the Tribecca Film Festival pulling the film from schedule, many turned to De Niro to explain why it was pulled, and partly due to the fact that his son is also autistic. When asked, De Niro suggested he felt he “didn’t want to start affecting the festival in ways he couldn’t see.”
During his interview with Savannah Gutheiw, however, he also stated, “I think it’s a movie that people should see.”
De Niro generally keeps his private life out of the spot light, and this controversy opened some doors for him to speak about his personal views. He also released a statement which read, “My intent in screening this film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue that is deeply personal to me and my family. But after reviewing it over the past few days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for”.