A theater in Beverly, Massachusetts has apologized for a special screening of “Jaws” that turned into a fiasco after actor Richard Dreyfuss allegedly made a transphobic, misogynistic, homophobic and sexist rant during the event.
The Cabot Theatre said it takes full responsibility for the failure of its Saturday event, “An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss + Screening of ‘Jaws’.”
Audience members who paid around $300 per person for tickets said they didn’t get the experience they were hoping for, and instead were put off by Dreyfuss’ hateful rant, which disparaged women in film, the #MeToo movement, and LGBTQ rights.
Apparently things got worse, escalating into a full-on rant that began with Dreyfuss talking about Barbra Streisand, and included what The Hollywood Reporter described as “bigoted comments” about transgender kids, as well as criticism of the Academy Awards having inclusivity and diversity guidelines.
Sarah Hogg and her partner, Jonah Hoffman, told the Boston Globe that they left the event because Dreyfuss had directed hateful eyes at parents of transgender children.
The experience left the audience feeling uncomfortable and many attendees walked out of the event, including Sarah Hogg and her partner, Jonah Hoffman, who told The Boston Globe that it was personal.
“I’m queer and non-binary, and this is personal to me,” Hogg said. “It was like an out-of-body experience. It was terrifying.”
Cabot released a statement saying: “The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as an organization. We take full responsibility for our failure to anticipate the direction of the conversation and for the offense caused to many of our members.”
The theater also said it is committed to talking to people about their experiences and learning ways to better fulfill its mission of entertaining people, while also educating and inspiring the community.
Dreyfuss, whose career soared when she played a marine biologist in the 1975 blockbuster, isn’t the popular star she was years ago.
The Globe reported that Dreyfuss has made similar comments in recent years, saying last year on the PBS show “Firing Line” that the film academy’s inclusivity rules were “nauseating.”
A representative for Dreyfus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
