Jim Carrey Uses Photo Of Autistic Child For Vaccine Rant, Upsets Child’s Family [Updated]
Jim Carrey may have had the right to hop on Twitter and rant about the passing of California’s SB277, which requires all children to be vaccinated prior to being admitted to public or private schools. But what Carrey didn’t have permission to do is use the photo of an autistic child. Now, the family of that child is upset at Carrey.
According to Mediaite, Jim Carrey used a photo of 14-year-old Alex Echols for his rant on Wednesday. While Carrey seemingly grabbed the first image he could find online, his rant caught the attention of Echols’ mother, Karen Echols, who then requested via Twitter that Carrey remove the image.
@JimCarrey Please remove this photo of my son. You do not have permission to use his image.
— Karen Echols (@karen_echols) July 2, 2015
Alex Echols suffers from both autism and tuberous sclerosis. But the teen was diagnosed with both of those prior to being vaccinated, according to his aunt, Elizabeth Welch, in an Instagram post.
“I’m very disgusted and sickened that a celebrity would use a photo like this that was used in the first place to spread awareness of Tuberous Sclerosis [sic] to mock him and and my sister for vaccinations. Even if that was not his intended outcome, it is what happened.”
The image that Jim Carrey used for his rant has since been removed due to copyright violation. But Carrey has been using other images of children to voice his opinion on vaccines containing mercury, and is also informing his followers to check out Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s book, Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak, and the documentary, Trace Amounts.
This could be the face of California’s future. TOXIN FREE VACCINES, A REASONABLE REQUEST! http://t.co/GTr9lReaXO pic.twitter.com/YgYyLDqWBG
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015
TOXIN FREE VACCINES, A REASONABLE REQUEST! http://t.co/GTr9lReaXOpic.twitter.com/pE5UMhJCfQ — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Carrey has been ranting about SB277 since Governor Jerry Brown signed it into law. The actor and comedian took to Twitter once the bill was signed to call Governor Brown a “corporate fascist.”
California Gov says yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in manditory vaccines. This corporate fascist must be stopped. — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015
But while Carrey is against SB277, he did say that he does believe in certain vaccinations.
I am not anti-vaccine. I am anti-thimerosal, anti-mercury. They have taken some of the mercury laden thimerosal out of vaccines. NOT ALL!
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015
Update: Carrey has removed the images from his Twitter account, and issued an apology to the Echols family and those of the other children.
[Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie / Getty Images]