The dubious Dr. Hollywood: 5 celebrity health claims that have been debunked

A celebrity endorsement can sell a movie, cosmetics and, sometimes, a bogus health claim.When stars share personal health experiences or opinions, those messages can reach millions of people and spark real-world behavior change.A 2018 study found that an op-ed penned by Angelina Jolie about her BRCA testing and preventative mastectomy led to a “statistically significant increase” in BRCA testing and mastectomy rates among women who had not been previously diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer.But that same reach can amplify claims that conflict with medical evidence or mislead people about their health.From vaccine misinformation to miracle cures, here are five celebrity health claims that needed a reality check rooted in science.Jenny McCarthy helped popularize the false claim that childhood vaccines causes autism, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the anti-vaccine movement in the US since 2005.McCarthy has said she believes her son developed autism shortly after receiving childhood vaccines, including the MMR shot, Children typically receive the MMR vaccine around the same age when autism symptoms would become noticeable, usually between 15 and 18 months as language and social development progress.Large studies around the world have found no link between MMR vaccines, thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism — and experts have called out her crusade as dangerous.In fact, autism has no single known cause, and researchers believe multiple factors, like genetics and environmental influences, play a role.

Still, Secretary Robert F.Kennedy, a long-time critic of vaccines, said he ordered the CDC to change the language regarding vaccines and autism on the organization’s website in 2025.The phrase “vaccines do not cause autism” remains on the website, though, with an asterisk disclaiming that is “due to an agreement with the chair of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee” — Sen.

Bill Cassidy (R-La.) — “th...