Written by Stephen M. Lepore for Dailymail.Com
06:24 28 May 2024, updated 06:24 28 May 2024
Richard Dreyfuss was seen on video entering the screening and doing a Q&A about his 1975 classic Jaws while wearing a dress before being booed and facing off from the Massachusetts crowd.
Dreyfuss, 78, was appearing at The Cabot in Beverly, Massachusetts, for a question-and-answer session followed by a screening of Jaws, the blockbuster film that launched his career in 1975. Tickets were priced at $300.
Some attendees said the Oscar winner made “sexist and homophobic” remarks, but other guests revealed that the outfit preceded Dreyfus’s criticism of parents of transgender children.
Attendees claimed that Dreyfuss took to the stage wearing the blue floral-print dress and shook his hips to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” while holding his cane like a baseball bat.
“He said that the parents of the young trans people who allowed them to transition were bad parenting, and that one day these kids might change their minds,” said Diane Wolfe, one of the ticket holders.
In one clip posted online, Dreyfus says of transgender children: “It’s not good because when the kid turns 15, you’re going to say, ‘I’m an octopus.’”
Dreyfus eventually put on a suit jacket and ditched the dress but continued to offend many in the audience.
Hollywood Reporter He cites others who say he made disparaging remarks about Barbra Streisand, his co-star in the 1987 film Nuts.
Dreyfus himself did not make any public comment on the event, while the theater in which it was held apologized.
His son, journalist Ben Dreyfus, commented on the matter on social media on Monday evening.
“Re: My Dad: Well, now you know why I refused to give him the password to his Twitter account for a decade,” Dreyfus posted on X.
After the concert, the theater issued an apology to all those who purchased tickets.
“We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfuss’ comments during the event did not align with the values of inclusivity we uphold at The Cabot,” the press release began.
We understand that his comments were upsetting and offensive to many members of our community, and for that we sincerely apologize.
“At The Cabot, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfus do not reflect our beliefs, and we do not endorse them in any way.
“We take full responsibility for oversight in not predicting the direction of the conversation and for any inconvenience caused.”
In response to the controversy, one attendee, Rogue Mama, tweeted: “Came here to see if Richard Dreyfuss has been canceled tonight after his appearance at #TheCabot in Beverley.”
Another person tweeted an alternative title for the evening: “An evening of misogyny and homophobia with Richard Dreyfus.” Disappointing doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Ironically, on May 28, three days after Dreyfus’s appearance, the theater is hosting an event titled “How Discrimination Appears in Our Society and What We Can Do About It.”
On May 24, Dreyfus appeared at a similar session at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
One attendee wrote on Facebook: ‘Wow. It was terrible. Sexist, mean, arrogant. I walked out as did many others even before Jaws came out. Horrible.’
Just 12 months ago, Dreyfus was widely criticized for his comments about new diversity and inclusion requirements at the Oscars, which he said “makes me puke.”
Dreyfus made the comments during an episode of PBS’s Firing Line, which aired Friday, and claimed that the academy is treating people like children by enforcing the new standards.
The actor also defended Laurence Olivier’s performance in the 1965 film Othello, in which he played the main character in blackface.
Host Margaret Hoover asked Dreyfus what he thought of the inclusivity rules and he replied: “They make me puke.”
“No one should tell me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest and greatest idea of what morality is. What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings?”
You can’t legislate that. You have to let life be life and I’m sorry, I don’t think there is a minority or majority in the country that should be cared for in this way… This is an art form. It is also a form of commerce, and it makes money, but it is an art.
“And no one should tell me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest and greatest idea of what morality is.”
The actor has long been vocal about his belief in the Constitution.
In 2008, he founded the Dreyfus Initiative, a nonprofit organization that encourages the teaching of American democracy in classrooms across the country. The initiative, among other things, provides teachers with videos and teaching tools.
In a 2014 interview with the Associated Press, he called for a “civil strike” in support of the U.S. Constitution to encourage civic participation.
“I will send you a copy of the introduction to the Constitution,” he said. If there is anything you do not agree with, do not sign it; Just send me an explanation. You will agree with everything, because it is beautifully made and customized for everyone. If I get 500,000 signatures, I will call for a civil strike.
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