Bill Nye Rips Into Rfk Jr. Over His Lack of Qualifications, Ghosts Politician

Bill Nye is arguably one of the most famous faces in science. That's because the 69-year-old starred in a beloved children's show from 1993 to 1998, where he spent his days teaching tweens all about science on his Emmy-winning series Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Nye expanded his platform after that, appearing on all manner of television shows where he got to talk about everything from science to portraying himself on shows like The Big Bang Theory.

That's made him pretty popular over the years, which is likely why Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. (RFK) initially reached out to Nye via text message to talk about the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services' book. According to Nye, that connection was not a welcome one, which ultimate led to the moment when Bill Nye ghosted RFK Jr.

Keep reading to find out why the typically mild-mannered scientist cut RFK Jr. out of his life.

Nye had no problem opening up to Men's Health about his relationship or, more accurately, lack thereof, with RFK Jr. in a June 2025 interview. According to Nye, he and RFK Jr. were connected by their mutual friend Ed Begley Jr., who had become friends with the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services over a shared concern for the environment.

Nye said that he and RFK Jr. had connected via text, and the pair exchanged some text messages before having a falling out.

As to what led to the falling out, Nye says it was due to RFK's continued desire to push narratives about vaccines and science that were not backed by any evidence.

Nye showed off some of the texts he received from RFK, which were largely unanswered by the scientist, including some where he sent articles to Nye to try to explain why he was so against vaccines.

"And if you read these articles he sent, they’re all this speculation about autism and just cause-and-effect, and mercury in vaccines, that maybe there’s a connection," Nye explained. "I wrote him back and said, ‘OK, I’ll read your book. I think you’ve confused causation with correlation. Your friend, Bill.’ And he sent this.” Nye showed off his phone. “So I wrote, ‘OK, no more texts.’ And he started again! So I cut him off. He does not have good judgment. He is not suited for this job.”

Being ghosted by Bill Nye probably stings a lot, but the scientist says he has good reason for cutting RFK Jr. out of his life, and he cited the measles outbreak in Texas and people promoting the consumption of raw and unpasteurized milk as part of it.

These are all practices that have been put in place in the interest of public health, and Nye says eliminating them isn't just silly; it's dangerous.

RFK Jr.'s rhetoric has included more than just a seemingly endless stream of text messages to Nye. He's also fired all 17 members of the ACIP, which is the group tasked with reviewing vaccines for efficacy and safety.

RFK Jr. talked about his decision in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, in which he called vaccinations a "divisive issue in American politics."

Prominent anti-vaxxers praised RFK Jr. for the move, seeming to highlight just how at odds the statements were from the science that Nye has worked his entire life to share, and further illustrating why the beloved television personality felt the need to ghost his one-time acquaintance.