Zachary Levi has been hit with backlash online after alleging Gavin Creel died as a result of the Covid-19 vaccine.
During an Instagram Live session earlier this week, the Shazam! actor made a series of unfounded claims about the vaccinations developed in the wake of the pandemic.
“I know that this is going to offend some people and make some people mad, and I wish it didn’t,” he began. “So, a few weeks ago, my friend Gavin Creel died. He was 48 years old, and he was one of the healthiest people I knew.”
Zachary went on to allege that “people at the top” knew “there would be plenty of side effects, including turbo cancers. They knew”.
“I, without a shadow of a doubt, I believe that Gavin Creel would be alive right now – right f**king now – he would still be alive if that stuff didn’t get put into his body,” the 44-year-old continued, before tearing up and noting he was unsure how to “honour” his late friend.
Zachary and Gavin worked together on the 2016 Broadway revival of the musical She Loves Me.
The Tony Award winner died at the age of 48 in September after a brief battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
However, Zachary’s comments didn’t go down well with many followers, including fellow theatre star Norbert Leo Butz.
“So incredibly disappointed you would politicize Gavin’s death. Really tried to give you the benefit here. Made it halfway through, which was hard as hell. But was utterly heartbroken, as he would have been, that you felt the need to use his life and legacy to promote this awful platform,” he fired.
Meanwhile, another follower accused Zachary of using Gavin’s passing to “spread absolutely blatant misinformation”.
“I think he would be incredibly disappointed in you. Like I’m sure much of the Broadway community now is,” they continued.
Zachary has not yet responded to the criticism.
Elsewhere in his Instagram Live, the Chuck actor praised Donald Trump’s policies, having recently announced his endorsement of the politician in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
