Jessica Biel accused of being an 'anti-vaxxer' after meeting with Robert F. Kennedy Jr

Jessica Biel has been accused of being an anti-vaxxer, after taking a meeting with activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a vocal critic of vaccines.

Kennedy, the son of the late Bobby Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, posted a picture of him sitting with Biel, calling the actress 'courageous'.

Kennedy and Biel are lobbying against a bill in California which will limit medical exemptions for vaccination, a piece of legislation which is being challenged by the anti-vaccination lobby.

Though Biel has not spoken about the meeting, Kennedy told The Daily Beast: “I would say that she was for safe vaccines and for medical freedom.

“My body, my choice.”

He added that Biel was 'upset about this issue because of its particular cruelty'.

The star of The Sinner, who is married to Justin Timberlake, has previously been at the centre of reports that she plans not to vaccinate her children, though she has never spoken about it publicly.

Kennedy went on: “The biggest problem with the bill, which is something I think Jessica is concerned with, is that a doctor who has made a determination—if he has found children in this state whose doctors have determined that they’re too fragile to receive vaccinations—this bill would overrule the doctors and force them to be vaccinated anyways.

“She was a very effective advocate. She was very strong and very knowledgeable. Extremely well-informed. An extremely effective advocate. She knows what she’s talking about… She’s upset about this issue because of its particular cruelty. She has friends who have been vaccine-injured who would be forced to leave the state.”

The US is currently recording the largest increase in cases of measles since the disease was declared to have been eradicated in 2000.

Despite that, Kennedy has said that ressurrgence of the disease, which can cause blindness and even death in children, has nothing to do with increasing numbers of children not being vaccinated.

“The measles epidemic has almost nothing to do with unvaccinated children,” he said. “Particularly the medically-fragile children have nothing to do with it.”

Many have taken to social media to criticise Biel for associating herself with the anti-vax movement.

But others, such as Rosanna Arquette and Jenna Jameson praised her.