Jennifer Aniston Doubles Down on Vaccine Comments: ‘We Have to Care About More Than Ourselves’
Jennifer Aniston’s comments on vaccination status earlier this week had some fans upset. In an interview, she expressed frustration for those who refuse a vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19.) After the outcry, the outspoken TV actor took to social media to both clarify and double down on her stance on vaccines, saying that it’s about watching out for others.
Jennifer Aniston said she was willing to lay relationships on the line over it
In an interview for an InStyle cover story, Aniston spoke out on a hot-button issue, saying that she’d recently cut off interactions with people who either refused to get a vaccination or disclose whether they had received one. Among her more provocative statements were that unvaccinated people ‘don’t listen.’
“There’s still a large group of people who are anti-vaxxers or just don’t listen to the facts,” Aniston told the magazine, adding, “it’s a real shame.” Further, the Friends: The Reunion actor said she’s simply unwilling to tolerate it among people she associates with.
“I’ve just lost a few people in my weekly routine who have refused or did not disclose [whether or not they had been vaccinated], and it was unfortunate,” she said. “I feel it’s your moral and professional obligation to inform, since we’re not all podded up and being tested every single day.”
Compounding the statement was her assertion that non-vaccinated individuals are simply acting (or not acting, as the case may be) out of “fear.”
“It’s tricky because everyone is entitled to their own opinion — but a lot of opinions don’t feel based in anything except fear or propaganda.” Predictably, controversy erupted all over social media.
Jennifer Aniston says it shouldn’t be a debate
The Screen Actors Guild Award winner has made no secret of her frustration with people who refuse to take protective measures against the virus. Per People, Aniston spoke out early during the pandemic, saying that the question of masks “shouldn’t be a debate.”
“I really do believe in the basic goodness of people so I know we can all do this,” she wrote in a June 2020 Instagram post. “BUT still, there are many people in our country refusing to take the necessary steps to flatten the curve, and keep each other safe. People seem worried about their “rights being taken away” by being asked to wear a mask. This simple and effective recommendation is being politicized at the expense of peoples’ lives. And it really shouldn’t be a debate.”
But it still is a debate, with the arguments now shifting and expanding from masking to vaccinations. Aniston remains firm, even in the face of public criticism.
She responded directly to one commenter
Her statement unleashed the fury of detractors, who tried to point out flaws in Aniston’s logic.
In a no-longer-visible Instagram story, Aniston responded to a commentator who asked, “But if [Jennifer’s] vaccinated she’s protected correct? Why be worried about [having unvaxxed people] around her?”
“Because if you have the variant, you are still able to give it to me,” Aniston wrote, likely referring to growing concerns about breakthrough coronavirus infections. “I may get slightly sick but I will not be admitted to a hospital and or die. BUT I CAN give it to someone who does not have the vaccine and whose health is compromised (or has a previous existing condition) — and therefore I would put their lives at risk. THAT is why I worry. We have to care about more than just ourselves.”
Beyond that, Aniston posted an image of a cross-stitch cloth saying, “What doesn’t kill you mutates and tries again.” After the scathing response, her 37.7 million Instagram followers can be in no question of where she stands. And it doesn’t look like she’ll be changing her opinion on the matter anytime soon.
