Rob Schneider slammed for suggesting Dikembe Mutombo died from COVID vaccine: 'You're vile, he had cancer'

Schneider drew criticism on social media after he shared on X that he "took a pass on the Jab" and reposted a video of Mutombo spreading vaccine awareness.

Actor Rob Schneider has courted controversy once again after suggesting that professional basketball icon Dikembe Mutombo died Monday at age 58 from taking a COVID vaccine.

The 60-year-old Deuce Bigalow and The Hot Chick star drew intense criticism Monday, after resurfacing on X a 2021 video of Mutombo promoting information from the World Health Organization regarding coronavirus vaccinations, and quoting the post with a caption suggesting that he believed Mutombo's Sept. 30 death from brain cancer actually resulted from the vaccine.

"Rest in Peace… I’m sure this is just (another) coincidence," Schneider wrote on the social media site. "But I took a pass on the Jab and I’m gonna not let anyone I know (and who will Listen) get it either!"

Related: Rob Schneider responds to daughter Elle King's 'toxic' comments: 'I hope you can forgive me'

Replies under Schneider's message called out the performer for hawking misinformation, including one who replied, "Bro just stop with the propaganda. [It's] old."

"You’re vile. He had cancer," another wrote, while an additional user tagged Schneider's frequent collaborator, Adam Sandler, writing, "@AdamSandler I really hope you'll reconsider your friendship with someone who would say something so despicable. You know Dikembe; this is disgusting."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Schneider, Mutombo, and WHO for comment.

Mutombo's initial message, posted on Dec. 24, 2021, called for his followers to "stay informed from trusted sources like @WHO and get vaccinated," before telling them that "only together can we be safe and defeat COVID."

Schneider's claims follow a wave of misinformation about vaccines, which WHO addresses on its website. In December 2023, the organization indicated that 13 billion doses of COVID vaccines have been administered since the start of the pandemic, which have prevented "millions of cases of severe disease and deaths," and that, before a vaccine is ready for public consumption, it "undergoes rigorous and stringent testing through multiple phases of clinical trials."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

In addition to pushback over his views, Schneider's relationship with his daughter, musician Elle King, has also made headlines, as the “Ex's and Oh's" singer opened up about her relationship with her estranged father, whom she claimed wasn't present during a portion of her childhood. This prompted Schneider to publicly apologize to King, 35, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, though King responded with displeasure.

"A lot of people said, 'How could she say that about her family?' and 'Everything needs to be behind closed doors.’ No it doesn’t," she told PEOPLE. "Sometimes you have to just say things and get them off your chest so that you don't have to carry it for the rest of your life."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.