Fuss over Richard Dreyfuss ‘transphobic, sexist, homophobic’ comments

Richard Dreyfuss has been accused of making transphobic, sexist and homophobic comments at a screening of Jaws.

The Cabot theatre in Beverly Massachusetts has issued an apology after the 76-year-old actor – who played Matt Hooper in the iconic 1975 shark horror flick – appeared in a housedress, swung his cane like a baseball bat and delivered a rant which offended attendees at an anniversary screening.

As reported by Deadline, social media users have claimed he first discussed his Nuts producer Barba Streisand, hailing her a “genius” but insisted the movie sucked because women are “so passive”. He was also accused of taking aim at the #MeToo Movement, during what was supposed to be a lighthearted question-and-answer session.

Another attendee claimed he “started down the road of how you shouldn’t be listening to some 10-year-old who says they want to be a boy instead of a girl”.

Walked out

Some people in the audience walked out over his remarks about women in film and the #MeToo movement, transgender youths and LGBTQ+ rights, and the Academy Awards’ efforts to foster inclusivity.

The Cabot, in its email apology, said it didn’t endorse the opinions of the actor, who also starred in Close Encounters of The Third Kind, American Graffiti and The Goodbye Girl, a performance for which he received an Oscar.

The Cabot theatre’s team wrote: “We are aware of, and share serious concerns, following the recent event with Richard Dreyfuss prior to a screening of the film Jaws at The Cabot.

The views expressed by Mr Dreyfuss do not reflect the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as an organisation. We deeply regret the distress that this has caused to many of our patrons. We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to celebrate an iconic movie instead became a platform for political views.”

It has been claimed Dreyfuss made similar comments at another recent Jaws screening this month, and last year he told PBS’ Firing Line that efforts in diversity by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences makes him “vomit”.

He said: “We’re so fragile that we can’t have our feelings hurt. We don’t know how to stand up and bop the bully in the face.”

An Associated Press report stated that Dreyfuss received applause when he ended the discussion by referencing his book, One Thought Scares Me ... and his opinion that civics is no longer being taught in classrooms, to the country’s detriment. The lack of a foundation in civics means “we have no knowledge of who the hell we are”.

Dreyfuss added,“If we don’t get it back soon, we’re all going to die.”