Pop Tarts: Jenny McCarthy Slams Amanda Peet Over Vaccines

LOS ANGELES – Actress and new mom Amanda Peet referred to parents who choose not to vaccinate their children as “parasites” in a recent interview. But despite her public apology aimed at parents of autistic children who believe that vaccines may have caused the illness, Jenny McCarthy hasn’t forgiven or forgotten.

"She (Peet) has a lot of [nerve] to come forward and be on that side, because there is an angry mob on my side, and I like the fact that I can say she's completely wrong,'' McCarthy (whose 6-year-old son has autism) tells the upcoming issue of Spectrum magazine, which hits stands Wednesday.

“I look at (Peet) now and say to myself, 'That was me before I had autism in my life,’ and until she walks in our shoes, she really has no idea," McCarthy added.

But McCarthy isn’t the only one taking a stand against Peet. National autism advocacy group Autism United is calling for a boycott of all of the actress’s movies.

"We want to send a clear message to her," the organization’s Executive Director John Gilmore told Pop Tarts in a statement on Monday. “Ms. Peet's comments are deplorable and an apology will not suffice. We applaud Jenny McCarthy's continued efforts and for speaking up for our community."

McCarthy and her longtime lover Jim Carrey continued their crusade this past summer and led a rally of thousands in Washington, D.C., to put pressure on the federal government to remove toxins from vaccines and fight for fewer childhood vaccinations prior to the age of 2.

But Peet (who is the spokeswoman for Every Child By Two, which raises awareness of the importance of getting children fully immunized by the time they are 2) hit back last month by joining the organization’s co-founder and former first lady Rosalynn Carter for a New York press conference to “dispel the myths” of McCarthy’s campaign.

“I am so distressed with what is happening, and now our mission has become more difficult,” Carter said. “As a result of all this there is an outbreak of measles and whooping cough.”

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics put out a casting call for a star-studded spokesperson to combat McCarthy's campaigning, and so Peet became involved.

Vivica A. Fox Enjoyed Torturing Jessica Simpson

Let's be honest, Jessica Simpson hasn’t had too much success with her acting career (did anyone see “Blonde Ambition” or “Employee of the Month”?) So while critics don’t expect her next film, “Major Movie Star,” to be a blockbuster, at least co-star Vivica A. Fox enjoyed the experience of inflicting pain on the pop princess.

“I tortured Jessica for a month and a half — I made her drop and give me 20 on a consistent basis even in the mud and even in the swamps. It was fun,” Fox told Tarts gleefully. “She coped, she still loved me at the end of the night and still took me out for a good steak.”

Leonardo DiCaprio Plays Tribute to Paul Newman, Raves About Winslet

For Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Newman — who died last Friday of cancer at age 83 — will continue to be a figure of great inspiration.

“He is the ultimate role model for us as actors, because he was somebody that not only [was] at the top of his field talent-wise and did great pieces of art that will last forever, but also led a normal life and was a good person,” DiCaprio told Pop Tarts over the weekend.

"He was philanthropic and gave back, and what more could you ask for in a lifetime or a man? He’s inspirational — he's the bar that everyone looks up to as far as what you want your life to be like in this business.”

Other A-listers including Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Danny DeVito and Bruce Willis are also set to honor Newman’s numerous charitable involvements at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall on Oct. 27 with a special staged reading of “The World of Nick Adams."

But back to DiCaprio, the 33-year-old actor has reunited with Russell Crowe for the upcoming thriller “Body of Lies” — some 13 years after working with him on the “Quick and the Dead."

“Two things have changed about Leo since then. He can now drink legally and he’s no longer a virgin," Crowe said, jokingly adding that he thought Leonardo was 12 when they made their first flick together when in fact he was 18.

On the note of reunions, DiCaprio also recently wrapped “Revolutionary Road” alongside his “Titanic” co-star, Kate Winslet.

“We have remained the closest of friends — she is the best actress of our generation,” DiCaprio declared. “I knew we could push each other’s buttons performance-wise, so I jumped at the opportunity to work with Kate again. We’ve known each other since we were basically teens.”

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