Ben Dreyfuss has disclosed that he has been estranged from his father, the renowned actor Richard Dreyfuss, for a couple of years now. In a recent post on X, which he later deleted, he mentioned that he hasn’t had contact with either his father or his two brothers during this time.
He expressed his discomfort in sharing that, while people often assume he and his brother are wealthy due to their father’s fame, they do not benefit financially from him. “I think, well, my dad doesn’t have money, and even if he did, we wouldn’t receive anything because of this long-standing estrangement,” Ben stated. He related this ongoing family tension to the complicated dynamics revolving around the MeToo movement.
The rift reportedly began several years ago when Richard used his Twitter account to support his son Harry Dreyfuss, who alleged that actor Kevin Spacey groped him during the MeToo events.
In Ben’s deleted post, he noted, “That tweet sparked an accusation against my dad. He blames us for that.” He explained his reasons for removing the post as primarily being about the uncomfortable responses he received. “Most of the replies were overly sympathetic, which felt unwarranted,” Ben commented. “Some other reactions felt hostile towards me for voicing my feelings about my dad.” Ultimately, he felt compelled to delete it due to self-loathing rather than embarrassment.
Ben recounted his last email exchange with his father, which took place two years prior. He shared that he tried reaching out multiple times since, but Richard never replied. His email, stemming from a family dinner argument, highlighted how chaotic the conversation became, preventing clarity in their discussion. He also mentioned that he had attempted to make amends with Richard after a previous incident where he insulted him.
Richard, on his part, suggested that Ben may be hiding financial matters from him. In his response, he urged Ben to keep their correspondence civil and consistent rather than further complicating their relationship with unresolved feelings and accusations.
Ben’s sister, Emily Dreyfuss, also addressed the situation, saying that writing has become challenging for her since their estrangement. She remarked that while their experiences differ, it’s good to finally see the complexities of their family dynamics expressed openly.
In the background of this family turmoil, Richard Dreyfuss, an Oscar winner, has been married multiple times and has three children from his first marriage, alongside his current wife.
