Richard Dreyfuss Allegations: Claims of Misogynistic and Homophobic Comments Surface at ‘Jaws’ Screening
Allegations have emerged against actor Richard Dreyfuss for allegedly making misogynistic and homophobic comments during a recent ‘Jaws’ screening, leading to audience members leaving the event in protest.
Richard Dreyfuss Accused of ‘Misogynistic’ and ‘Homophobic’ Remarks
Richard Dreyfuss. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss is facing allegations of making sexist and homophobic remarks during a showing of the iconic film over Memorial Day Weekend.
The Cabot theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, organized a Q&A session with the 76-year-old Dreyfuss before screening the classic Steven Spielberg movie on Saturday, May 25. However, some attendees claimed they left the event due to offensive comments made by the Academy Award winner.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dreyfuss made offensive comments about Barbra Streisand, the #MeToo movement, and transgender youth affirming their gender.
"We walked out of his interview tonight along with hundreds of others because of his racist, homophobic, misogynistic rant," commented one attendee on The Cabot's Facebook page.
Another attendee shared on X that they came to see if #RichardDreyfuss was cancelled for the night after his appearance at #TheCabot in Beverly.
Video footage on YouTube captures the actor coming on stage wearing a dress over his clothes while the song "Love Story" by Taylor Swift plays. In the video, he is shown taking off the dress with the assistance of two other individuals.
The Cabot apologized to attendees on Monday, May 27, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"We acknowledge and understand the valid concerns raised after the incident involving Richard Dreyfuss before a screening of the movie Jaws at The Cabot. The opinions expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not align with the principles of inclusivity and respect that we stand for as a venue. We are sorry for any upset this may have caused to our guests," the statement read.
We apologize for the event turning into a platform for political views instead of a celebration of an iconic movie. We acknowledge our mistake in not foreseeing the direction of the conversation and the discomfort it caused to many patrons.
We are currently engaging in discussions with our patrons to understand their experience and are dedicated to using this event as a learning opportunity to improve our mission of entertaining, educating, and inspiring our community.
Last year, Dreyfuss, the actor who won an Oscar in 1978 for The Goodbye Girl, made headlines for criticizing the Academy Awards' new diversity and inclusion rules for Best Picture candidates. These rules, which started this year, state that movies must meet at least two out of four criteria. The aim is to increase the representation of people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities, both on and off camera.
During a May 2023 episode of PBS' Firing Line With Margaret Hoover, Dreyfuss expressed his strong dislike for the requirements, stating that they "make me vomit."
The actor emphasized that acting is not just about making money, but it is also a form of art. He believes that as an artist, he should not be pressured to conform to the ever-changing standards of morality.
We have contacted representatives for Dreyfuss and The Cabot to provide a comment.
Editor's P/S:
The allegations
