Sexist

The May 25 screening of Jaws at The Cabot Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, ended with patrons and the audience storming out of the venue even before the movie. This was due to sexist and homophobic comments from Richard Dreyfuss. However, he seemed unmoved by the reactions, and many who stayed back continued to applaud him. The event-themed “An Evening With Richard Dreyfuss + Jaws Screening” soon became a topic on social media, with users clapping back at Richard and calling him out for misbehavior. His son, Ben Dreyfuss, also shared his opinion via X, noting that “people are allowed to have different opinions about stuff.” Richard Dreyfuss slammed for sexist and homophobic comments JAWS, Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, 1975 / Everett Collection The event was expected to celebrate Steven Speilberg’s Jaws. However, Richard changed the trajectory of things when he appeared on stage in a floral dress, wiggling his hips and dangling his cane while Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” played in the background. He did a little dance and had his dress taken off to reveal his suit before going off on Barbra Streisand, the transgender community, and contrasting political views. RELATED: Richard Dreyfuss Expresses Disappointment With Robert Shaw’s Son’s New ‘Jaws’ Broadway Play According to social media comments, Richard admitted that Barbra was “a genius” but was only a woman who “should not have that power.” He added that letting kids transition was “bad parenting” because they could later change their minds, and “you shouldn’t be listening to some ten-year-old who says they want to be a boy instead of a girl.” AVALON - SEP 29: Richard Dreyfuss at the Catalina Film Festival - Saturday Red Carpet at the Casino on September 29, 2018 in Avalon, CA The public reacts to his comments Richard also called for the return of civics to “the curriculum of public schools in America,” adding that “if we don’t get it back soon, we’re all going to die.” Some attendees expressed their thoughts on the internet, including someone who noted that Richard “has a reputation for spewing this kind of bullcrap” and called out The Cabot for not doing background checks on him earlier. Richard Dreyfussat the Catalina Film Festival, Casino, Avalon, CA 09-28-18 The theater released a statement apologizing for Richard’s embarrassing behavior while exempting their organization from his views. They also admitted to the “oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for the discomfort it caused to many patrons,” noting that they are just as appalled at the turn of events. Richard’s son took a more neutral stance, throwing a cheeky comment about why “I refused to give him the password to his own Twitter account for a decade.”