Robert De Niro just defended @Tribeca's choice to debut a film from an anti-vaxx activist https://t.co/WHxMs9g8Uv pic.twitter.com/AcVnN9c6cw

— Business Insider (@businessinsider) March 25, 2016

UPDATE: De Niro has announced the film's been pulled.

Robert De Niro has spoken out about the film Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe, which is screening—debuting, actually—at his Tribeca Film Festival in spite of centering around a proven fraud, anti-vaccination advocate Andrew Wakefield.

Wakefield has been widely discredited, and the anti-vaccination movement has weakened the security and health of the planet—indisputably.

There is no evidence that vaccinations cause autism, but anti-vaccination zealots continue to assert it is a proven fact.

De Niro, claiming having an autistic child of his own makes the issue personal for him, nonetheless justifies giving the film a high-profile airing in the name of open discussion. It's not open discussion to aid a pack of lies:

Grace and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined. In the 15 years since the Tribeca Film Festival was founded, I have never asked for a film to be screened or gotten involved in the programming. However this is very personal to me and my family and I want there to be a discussion, which is why we will be screening Vaxxed. I am not personally endorsing the film, nor am I anti-vaccination; I am only providing the opportunity for a conversation around the issue.

Speaking of open discussion, this documentary was directed by, written by and stars Wakefield.