Mayim Bialik Insists She’s Not An Anti-Vaxxer

Actress Mayim Bialik does not want to be labeled an anti-vaxxer.

Bialik has come under harsh criticism in recent years for her controversial stance on vaccines. In her 2012 parenting book, “Beyond The Sling,” she wrote, "We made an informed decision not to vaccinate our children, but this is a very personal decision that should be made only after sufficient research, which today is within reach of every parent who seeks to learn about their child’s health regardless of their medical knowledge or educational status."

Bialik shares two teenage sons, Miles and Fred, with her ex-husband Michael Stone. However, she recently went on the Renaissance Man podcast, hosted by former NBA star Jalen Rose, to talk about the “frustrating” reaction to her vaccine stance.

Earlier this year, the New York Times had an exclusive interview with Bialik. They titled the piece: “Mayim Bialik Wants The ‘Jeopardy!’ Job. Is She ‘Neutral’ Enough?”

The article mentions that “Alex Trebek projected impartiality. Bialik has questioned vaccines, endorsed a disputed brain supplement, and weighed in on hot-button issues.”

The hot-button issue refers to a 2017 New York Times op-ed about former film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, in which Bialik seemed to blame the victims for dressing proactively to attract attention.

She wrote, "I have decided that my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with. I dress modestly. I don't act flirtatiously with men as a policy."

After being called out on Twitter, Bialik apologized to her fans, writing, “You are never responsible for being assaulted… I am truly sorry for causing so much pain, and I hope you can all forgive me.”

The disputed brain supplement also refers to her endorsement of the supplement company, Neuriva, which sells unproven “nootropics.” Although she claims that Neuriva Plus is “backed by strong science” – in ads that run during "Jeopardy!", no less - a recent Psychology Today article dismissed Neuriva as “just another tasty snake oil.”

Although the star of "Blossom" explained her reasoning behind each one of her controversies, she explained that it was frustrating to see the number of people who insisted that she was still an anti-vaxxer in the comments.

“And it’s like, ‘Did you not read the article?’” she asked Rose during the podcast. “It upsets me as a human. It doesn’t upset me as a celebrity so much because, like, I’m grateful to my publicist for reminding me not to read the comments, but I had a little slip.”

She added, “But the fact is, like, when people say things about you that aren't true, that hurts. And that hurts, whether it's between you and your girlfriend or, you and your lover or, you know, on the New York Times comments section.”

“I really just wanted to be like, 'I'm not an anti-vaxxer,’” she continued. “Like, my kids were vaccinated late. That's true. And we were vaccinated.”

In August 2021, a spokesperson stated that Bialik had, in fact, been vaccinated against COVID-19 and was planning on getting her sons vaccinated as well. According to her spokesperson, “She has been fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus and is not at all an anti-vaxxer.”

Whether it’s enough to win back the trust of “Jeopardy!” audiences to help her become the show’s next full-time host is another matter entirely.