A Massachusetts theater is apologizing to its patrons who got here to attend a screening of Jaws with star Richard Dreyfuss however as an alternative had been subjected to alleged sexist and homophobic feedback from the actor over Memorial Day weekend.
Attendees who headed Saturday to The Cabot theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, for what was billed as “An Night With Richard Dreyfuss + Jaws Screening” had been doubtless anticipating some amusing or insightful anecdotes from the actor about filming the traditional Steven Spielberg motion blockbuster.
As an alternative, the Oscar winner went on a freeform rant that, based on social media posts from these in attendance, started whereas he was talking about Barbra Streisand and moved into his bigoted perspective on trans youth, the Academy Awards’ inclusivity guidelines after which on to trans children affirming their gender.
Following the occasion, attendees rapidly took to social media to criticize the actor’s remarks, with some saying they even walked out through the occasion.
One attendee and X.com person named Rogue Mama wrote, “Got here right here to see if Richard Dreyfuss had been canceled tonight after showing at #TheCabot in Beverly.” One other advised another title for the evening’s occasion: “An Night of Misogyny and Homophobia With Richard Dreyfuss. Disappointing doesn’t even start to cowl it.”
One individual wrote within the remark part of the venue’s newest Fb publish, “We walked out of his interview tonight together with hundred of others due to his racist homophobic mysogynistic rant.” One other individual known as Dreyfuss’ feedback “disgusting” and “offensive.”
On Monday, the venue apologized to attendees for Dreyfuss’ remarks, writing in an announcement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter: “We’re conscious of, and share severe considerations, following the latest occasion with Richard Dreyfuss previous to a screening of the movie Jaws at The Cabot. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss don’t mirror the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as a corporation. We deeply remorse the misery that this has brought on to a lot of our patrons.“
We remorse that an occasion that was meant to be a dialog to have a good time an iconic film as an alternative grew to become a platform for political opinions. We take full accountability for the oversight in not anticipating the path of the dialog and for the discomfort it brought on to many patrons.
We’re in lively dialogue with our patrons about their expertise and are dedicated to studying from this occasion higher enact our mission of entertaining, educating and provoking our neighborhood.”
Dreyfuss appeared Friday at an analogous occasion to The Cabot Q&A + screening at The Music Corridor in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Attendees additionally criticized him for his conduct and language there, which was described as sexist and imply.
In Might 2023, whereas showing on PBS, Dreyfuss made feedback much like these made at The Cabot relating to the Movie Academy’s inclusion guidelines.
“They make me vomit,” he stated on Firing Line. “Nobody must be telling me as an artist that I’ve to present in to the most recent, most present thought of what morality is. What are we risking? Are we actually risking hurting folks’s emotions? You’ll be able to’t legislate that. It’s a must to let life be life and I’m sorry, I don’t assume there’s a minority or majority within the nation that must be catered to love that. … That is an artwork type. It’s additionally a type of commerce and it makes cash, but it surely’s an artwork. And nobody must be telling me as an artist that I’ve to present in to the most recent, most present thought of what morality is.”
THR has reached out to Dreyfuss’ rep for remark and to The Cabot employees for additional remark.