What to Know
A new documentary narrated by Liam Neeson is raising eyebrows. The documentary, Plague of Corruption: 80 Years of Pharmaceutical Corruption Exposed, features debunked claims about vaccines, including that they’re connected to autism, and criticizes the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, per The Guardian. It also includes an interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and suggests that his involvement in politics is a positive thing. In a trailer for the film, RFK Jr. even says that Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “should be in prison.”
So, in many people’s minds, only anti-vaxxers or vaccine skeptics would choose to align themselves with this film. Naturally, people have questioned what Liam’s participation in the project says about his own beliefs. But according to a rep for Liam, we shouldn’t take Liam’s narration to mean that he’s an anti-vaxxer.
People almost didn’t believe that Liam actually narrated it.
After investigative journalism newsletter Important Context shared a report that said Liam narrated the film, some people online questioned it. “I’m highly skeptical that Neeson is actually involved with this. He’s previously been vocally pro-vaccine,” one person wrote on Reddit. Another person wrote, “Have I been under a rock or is anyone else surprised by this. Ew.”
A third person said, “i suspect this is an AI voice, since he’s been vocally pro vaccine and works directly with UNICEF for vaccine campaigns.”
As Important Context explained, the documentary “features a bevy of discredited claims about vaccines” and “frames Kennedy’s leadership of U.S. health policy as hopeful.”
Liam’s rep appeared to confirm (and defend) his involvement.
A representative for the Naked Gun actor told Entertainment Weekly that “we all recognize that corruption can exist within the pharmaceutical industry, but that should never be conflated with opposition to vaccines.” Though Liam narrated the documentary, he was not involved in creating it or shaping the content. “Liam never has been, and is not, anti-vaccination,” the rep continued. “His extensive work with UNICEF underscores his long-held support for global immunization and public-health initiatives. He did not shape the film’s editorial content, and any questions about its claims or messaging should be directed to the producers.”
Still, many disappointed fans couldn’t understand why the actor would participate at all. “So even though he doesn’t agree with the substance of the documentary, he’s still lending his voice to it,” one person on Reddit wrote in response. “Is he that desperate for money?” Another person concluded, “We need to bring back shame for selling out.”
The Guardian published some examples of the narration read by Liam for the film. At one point in the film, Liam reads, “science has become dangerously politicized.” At another point, he reads a line that is critical of Covid-19 lockdowns: “Thousands of lives were lost, not to the virus, but to the mental anguish brought on by these harsh restrictions.”
And before cutting to footage of people speaking highly of RFK Jr., Liam reads, “We cannot change the past, but we can demand transparency and accountability for the future. We cannot bring back every loved one we lost, but we can honor their memory by seeking and upholding the truth.”
