Richard Dreyfuss Makes Transphobic Comments At ‘Jaws’ Screening, Venue Apologizes

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After taking the stage in a housecoat and, at one point, swinging his cane like a baseball bat during a holiday weekend screening in Massachusetts, JawsRichard Dreyfuss then launched a speech described by participants as transphobic, sexist and homophobic.

“It was disgusting,” one attendee posted on the Facebook page of the Cabot Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts. “How could Cabot not have been more in control of his actions? Apparently (I found out too late) he has a reputation for spewing this kind of racist, homophobic and misogynistic crap.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening, before the screening of the film. In a brief YouTube video taken by an audience member, Dreyfuss can be seen taking the stage for a question-and-answer session, wearing a floral-print dress and shaking her hips mockingly.

At one point, as he walks slowly to his seat, aided by a cane, he waves the cane like a baseball bat toward the crowd.

Social media accounts of the event suggest the problems began when Dreyfuss began talking about his Nuts director Barbra Streisand, calling her a “genius”, but that the women, in the commentator’s account of the event, “are so passive, that’s why the film sucks”. From there, Dreyfuss apparently made disparaging remarks about the MeToo movement, then “launched into the idea that you shouldn’t listen to a 10-year-old who says he wants to be a boy instead.” only a girl.”

“Jesus Christ, what a blast,” the commentator continued. “The crowd was shouting at him and most of them left before the movie even started. Talk about the asshole in the movie.

In a statement of apology sent by the Cabot to attendees, the venue wrote: “We are aware of and share serious concerns following the recent event with Richard Dreyfuss prior to the screening of the film Jaws at the Cabot. The opinions expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect the values ​​of inclusion and respect that we uphold as an organization. We deeply regret the distress this has caused many of our customers.

“We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to celebrate an iconic film has become a platform for political opinions. We take full responsibility for the oversight due to not anticipating the direction of the conversation and the discomfort it caused many customers.

“We are in active dialogue with our guests about their experience and are committed to learning from this event how to better implement our mission to entertain, educate and inspire our community.”

One participant responded on Facebook: “While Cabot’s apology to their customers seems sincere, no refund has been offered. We did NOT get what we paid for (which we all thought would be a light, fun evening listening to stories and anecdotes about RD’s time on the Vineyard making Jaws.) It was offensive and we demand a refund.”

Deadline has contacted The Cabot and a representative for Dreyfuss for additional comment.

Dreyfuss allegedly made similar comments on a Friday evening. Jaws screening at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “I live in Mass, but Cabot’s performance was sold out, so I saw him in NH on May 24th,” one commenter wrote on Facebook. “He also made anti-gay remarks that evening.”

Another Cabot viewer wrote: “Richard Dreyfuss is a disgrace to society. I left tonight because of his narrow, bigoted view of women and choice.

Dreyfuss has been an outspoken critic of the Oscars’ inclusiveness rules and gender-affirming trans youth. Last year on PBS firing line, THE Goodbye, girl The Oscar winner said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ diversity efforts “make me vomit.”

“We are so fragile that we cannot feel hurt,” he said. “We don’t know how to stand up and punch the bully in the face.”

At the end of Dreyfuss’ Q&A at Cabot, also filmed on a cell phone, the actor plugs in his 2022 book A thought scares me, stating: “Fifty years ago, without telling anyone, they removed civics from the American public school curriculum. We don’t know who we are and if we don’t get it back soon, we’re all going to die. We need to make sure your children are not the last generation of Americans, and you know exactly what I’m talking about.