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Oscar winning-actor Robert De Niro revealed last week thathis 18-year-old son Elliot has autism. The 72-year-old, who co-founded the TribecaFilm Festival announced the news before pulling the anti-vaccinationdocumentary Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe from the 2016 festivallineup.
“Grace [Hightower] and I have a child withautism,” he said Friday in a statement on the TFF’s Facebook page. “We believeit is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism beopenly discussed and examined.”
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Photo: Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
The dad-of-six added that while the film is“very personal to me and my family,” he said “I am not personally endorsing thefilm, nor am I anti-vaccination.”
Robert admitted that he wantedthe film to provide an opportunity for “conversation around the issue.” Howeveron Saturday, the Raging Bull actorfollowed up his statement with a second one saying, “My intent in screeningthis film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue thatis deeply personal to me and my family. But after reviewing it over the pastfew days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientificcommunity, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I hadhoped for.”
In the past, the actor hasalluded to raising a child with special needs. During a 2013 interview with Katie Couric, the actor broke down, while discussing the film SilverLinings Playbook, which director David O. Russell wrote for his son who hasbipolar disorder. "I don't like to getemotional," Robert said. "But I know exactly what he goes through."