Marianne Williamson promoted anti-vaxxer theories on her radio show in 2012 episode

CNN

Democratic presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson once gave a platform to the unfounded theory that vaccines are linked to autism and called on her audience to "be awake" and "do your due diligence" before making the decision to vaccinate their children.

In a January 2012 episode of her radio show, "Living Miracuously," reviewed by CNN's KFile, Williamson said she "agonized" as a mother over the decision to vaccinate her children and that she could see "both sides" of the issue. Her guest, author Gwen Olsen, said on the program that she knew a number of people who were vaccinated and were later diagnosed with autism, to which Williamson responded, "Yes, absolutely."

A spokesman for Williamson told CNN she was neutral on the program, saying, "As with any radio show host, Williamson spoke with a variety of guests from all walks of life and some were provocative. This guest had a specific point of view on the issue, but it's clear from Williamson's comments that she was neutral. For example, when someone like Kellyanne Conway is interviewed on CNN, we don't assume the host agrees with everything she says."

Williamson's comments on vaccines shed new light on positions she has downplayed since running for president. Williamson issued an apology earlier this year after calling mandatory vaccines "Orwellian" and "draconian," writing in a tweet that she understood "many vaccines are important and save lives." Williamson described herself in an interview with MSNBC as "pro-vaccination, pro-medicine, pro-science."