Richard Dreyfuss’ remarks about women and diversity prompt Massachusetts venue to apologize

Actor Richard Dreyfuss is facing backlash for allegedly sharing comments that the public found to be sexist, homophobic and generally offensive at a weekend Q&A event related to a screening of “Jaws” at a Massachusetts theater. Dreyfuss starred in the 1975 blockbuster, which was filmed in Massachusetts and screened Saturday night at The Cabot, a performing arts center in the coastal community of Beverly.

Dreyfuss wore a dress to the “Jaws” themed event where he made demeaning comments about women, LGBTQ+ people and diversity. The venue issued an apology after the event, which was classified as “An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss” to watch the film.

The 76-year-old actor, who played a marine biologist in “Jaws,” took the stage wearing a blue floral-print dress that stage staff helped him take off before changing into a sport coat. A YouTube video Her entrance shows Dreyfuss performing a sort of impromptu dance in the dress as she takes the stage, while Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story” plays in the background.

During what was supposed to be a light-hearted question-and-answer session, some in the audience abandoned their comments about women in film and the #MeToo movement, transgender youth and LGBTQ+ rights, and the Oscars’ efforts to promote inclusivity. . Dreyfuss has previously said that the academy’s diversity efforts “make me vomit.”

“We left your interview tonight along with hundreds of people [sic] others because of their racist, homophobic and misogynistic speech,” commented one user on Cabot’s Facebook page.

Dreyfuss received applause when he ended the discussion by referencing his book, “One Thought Scares Me…” and his opinion that civics is no longer taught in classrooms, to the detriment of the country. The lack of a civic base means “we have no knowledge of who the hell we are,” he said in another video shared online of this part of the Q&A.

“And if we don’t get him back soon, we will all die,” Dreyfuss continued. “Make sure your kids aren’t the last generation of Americans. And you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

The Cabot sent an email apologizing saying he did not endorse the views 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 venue’s executive director did not immediately respond to emails Tuesday, and a representative for Dreyfuss could not be reached.

“We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfuss’s comments during the event were not in line with the values ​​of inclusion and respect that we espouse at The Cabot. We understand that his comments were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and we therefore ask sincere apologies,” The Cabot’s statement said. CBS News contacted the location for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Dreyfuss came under fire last year for his comments in an interview on the PBS program “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover”, where she discussed new inclusion initiatives for the Oscars. Initially announced in 2020 and implemented for this year’s Oscars, the Academy said was creating a set of eligibility standards for Best Picture nominees “to encourage more equitable representation on and off the screen.”

“They make me vomit,” Dreyfuss said when asked what he thought of the eligibility requirements. “Because this is an art form. It’s also a form of commerce, and it makes money. But it’s an art. And no one should tell me, as an artist, that I should give in to the latest and greatest idea of ​​what morality is. And what Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings?

“It’s about the fact that 50 years ago, without telling anyone, they took civics out of the curriculum in every public school in America, which means we have no knowledge of who we are,” Dreyfuss said of the work. “And if we don’t get it back soon, we’ll all die. Make sure your children aren’t the last generation of Americans. And you know exactly what I’m talking about.”