Anti-Vaxx celebrities come out of the woods

Photo: Daniele Venturelli / WireImage
Nicki Minaj appears to have broken the barrier on celebrity anti-vaccine sentiment. Following a series of tweets in which Minaj expressed her skepticism of the vaccine largely due to misinformation regarding the balls of her cousin’s friend, model Doutzen Kroes apparently felt allowed to share her own post announcing that she would not receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Returning from a months-long social media fast, the former Victoria’s Secret Angel posted a sepia photo of herself with a long caption defending her right to forgo shooting.
“I can no longer close my eyes to the injustice that is happening in front of us,” Kroes wrote. “Although my hands are shaking as I write this, I think it’s time to choose courage over comfort and speak my truth.” She continued, “I won’t have to shoot. I will not be required to prove my health to participate in society. I will not accept the exclusion of people because of their state of health.
Kroes’ post fails to mention that the FDA and CDC have declared the vaccines safe and effective, with both entities urging all people over 12 to get vaccinated. It also fails to recognize that vaccines are helping to curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities, keeping both those vaccinated and those who cannot yet be vaccinated safer.
Kroes concluded by declaring that “freedom of speech is a right worth fighting for” and urging his supporters to “pass on the torch of hope and love and speak your truth” . At least one other model has come out of the woods to defend Kroes’ right to free speech: Gisele Bündchen, who, let’s not forget, feeds her children dehydrated spirulina fruit rolls. After the backlash against Kroes’ post started, Bündchen commented: “I know Doutzen and he is a kind and loving person. I can’t believe the hate is directed at her for expressing her feelings.
While it’s not clear whether Bündchen is vaccinated or not (according to NFL protocol her husband Tom Brady is), Kroes is certainly not the only one who is skeptical. Comedian Rob Schneider, Rapper Offset, Anwar Hadid, Lakeith Stanfield, and professional white boy Chet Hanks have all expressed various anti-vaccine sentiments over the past year. If the CDC can’t shame famous people for getting the shot, maybe Chris Rock will?