The timeline of events leading to the crisis shows an unethical string of communication and public relations mistakes - ranging from cover ups regarding the amount of lead found in the water to blatant denial of the problem by government officials.
In his first statement on Friday, De Niro attempted to justify the decision to show Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe.
Organisers of the Castlemaine documentary film festival announced this week that the discredited documentary Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe, would be a part of its line-up.
Adding fuel to this fire is the controversial documentary Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, making its theatrical debut in New York this week.
De Niro, the father of an autistic child and co-founder of the Tribeca film festival, is standing by the decision to premiere Vaxxed: from Cover-Up to Catastrophe, which has been directed by the controversial Andrew Wakefield.
The father of an autistic child and co-founder of the festival, De Niro at first defended the decision to premiere Vaxxed: from Cover-Up to Catastrophe, despite outcry from doctors and researchers.
The Oscar-winning actor issued a statement on Saturday announcing that Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe would no longer be shown at the New York event following outcry from doctors and researchers.
When Tribeca Film Festival founder Robert De Niro issued a statement in support of a screening of the film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, directed by Andrew Wakefield, shamed doctor and anti-vaccination activist, I was, like many, appalled.
Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe aims to prove his discredited theory, in part by claiming new evidence that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDCC) suppressed an important study about the supposed links.
Wakefield re-emerged into the public spotlight last month, when his documentary Vaxxed: from Cover-Up to Catastrophe was initially given a premiere at the Tribeca film festival by founder Robert De Niro.
