Richard Dreyfuss dubbed ‘horrible’ as theater apologizes for his ‘offensive’ remarks at ‘Jaws’ screening

BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTES: Richard Dreyfuss recently offered a controversial view on transgender people and women, and outcry it has caused is evident as a Massachusetts theater that hosted the actor has apologized.

The Cabot theater, Massachusetts, issued an apology following allegations that the 76-year-old actor made "homophobic" and "misogynistic" remarks at the Memorial Day Weekend screening of his film 'Jaws'.

Richard Dreyfuss causes major stir during 'Jaws' screening

The Cabot in Beverly hosted a special screening of the 1975 film 'Jaws' on Saturday, May 25, and the star was asked to share amusing recollections about the popular film at an event titled 'An Evening With Richard Dreyfuss + Jaws Screening.'

Dreyfuss was having a Q&A session followed by a screening of the blockbuster film that launched his career in 1975, But his remarks caused the audience to deem him as "sexist" and "homophobic".

Dreyfuss seemed to escalate his divisive statements at the 'Jaws' retrospective screening, ranting about topics involving transgender persons, Barbra Streisand, the Me Too movement, and women in general.

"[Dreyfuss] said that the parents of trans youth, allowing them to transition, was bad parenting and that someday those kids might change their minds," as attendee Diane Wolfe told the Boston Globe.

Dreyfuss appeared on stage in a video shot during the occasion, sporting a shirt and a dress over jeans. The crowd clapped, whistled, and laughed as he danced around to Taylor Swift's 'Love Story'.

One viewer claimed that Dreyfuss declared, "That's the last time you'll see me in LGBT garb," after two people had torn off the dress. He reportedly continued his fiery rant over the topics mentioned, prompting jeers from the audience.

Those claiming to have witnessed the encounter blasted the seasoned actor, labeling him as "misogynistic" and "sexist," per Daily Mail.

'Jaws' star Dreyfuss has faced criticism in recent years for making public statements on issues like Blackface usage and Oscar diversity rules.

Cabot Theater issues apology for Richard Dreyfuss' statements

J. Casey Soward, executive director of Cabot, expressed regret in a statement for failing to foresee Dreyfuss' potential to speak controversial things on stage.

The statement read: "We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to celebrate an iconic movie instead became a platform for political views. We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for the discomfort it caused to many patrons."

"We are in active dialogue with our patrons about their experience and are committed to learning from this event how to better enact our mission of entertaining, educating and inspiring our community," per Variety.

According to Massachusetts radio station WBSM, New Bedford, The Cabot also apologized by email to attendees who had bought event tickets for remarks it considered to be "offensive and distressing".

The email was obtained by WBSM from a patron and read in part:

"We deeply regret that Mr Dreyfuss’s comments during the event were not in line with the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold at The Cabot. We understand that his remarks were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and for that, we sincerely apologize."

Internet erupts over Richard Dreyfuss' comments

Social media users expressed anger over Dreyfuss' comments as one Facebook user characterized them as "Vile, dehumanizing, abhorrent things about trans youth, LGBTQ+ people, women, and survivors of sexual violence..."

Another commentor wrote, "It's disappointing to see a beloved actor make such offensive comments. The Cabot should have vetted the event better to avoid this situation"

In response to the statement, one X (formerly Twitter) user suggested an alternative title to the evening, "An Evening of Misogyny and Homophobia With Richard Dreyfuss"

A second X user seethed, "The guy has become a parody of his own worst characters."

"Richard Dreyfuss? You and your career is now dead for a lot of people. Not even interested in rewatching Jaws..." exclaimed another one.

One user chimed in, "Former great actor Currently horrible guy."

"Is this what happens to actors whose last movie role was five years ago? This makes me very sad," noted another one.

Another remarked, "This guy has been a HUGE beneficiary of fans deciding to give him a second chance. And he spends that love and capital like this?!?"

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