Famed actor Richard Dreyfuss quickly turned Saturday’s screening of “Jaws” into an anti-transgender statement.
Dreyfuss reportedly spoke at the Cabot Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, during a rant condemning child sex change that sparked immediate backlash and widespread criticism. The Boston Globe.
The famous actor came on stage wearing a dress over his clothes, holding a cane and dancing wildly to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” The unexpected moment got even weirder when he made a transgender comment, saying, “It’s no good because when these kids turn 15 they’re like, ‘I’m an octopus.'” He continued dancing.
During a Q&A after the screening, Dreyfuss disparaged women and the #MeToo movement, according to the Boston Globe.
According to the outlet, ticket holders paid more than $300 to attend “An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss + Screening of Jaws,” and were treated to an exclusive meet-and-greet with the actor beforehand.
PARSIPPANY, NJ – APRIL 28: Richard Dreyfuss attends Chiller Theatre Expo Spring 2023 at the Parsippany Hilton on April 28, 2023 in Parsippany, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
According to the Boston Globe, Dreyfuss’ comments caused a huge uproar, and Cabot Theatre’s executive director, J. Casey Soward, formally apologized to the audience for Dreyfuss’s onstage rant.
“We are disappointed that what was meant to be a conversation celebrating an iconic film became a platform for political commentary,” Sowards said in a statement. IndieWire“We take full responsibility for failing to anticipate the direction of the conversation and for the upset caused to many of our customers. We are actively engaged in dialogue about our customers’ experiences and are committed to learning from this incident to better execute on our mission to entertain, educate and inspire our community.” (RELATED: Ben Affleck’s daughter Seraphina Rose to reveal new name at grandfather’s funeral: Reports)
The actor’s 37-year-old son, Ben Dreyfuss, also Weighed in a Twitter thread on Monday.
About my dad: Now you know why I didn’t give him my Twitter password for 10 years lol.
— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) May 28, 2024
Ben later clarified that he wasn’t calling his father’s behavior “horrible” or “awful,” but was simply using those words to jokingly describe his sister’s decision to buy an Android phone. “The reason I didn’t allow my dad to have a Twitter account for 10 years is because he has a lot of controversial opinions and I didn’t think it would help his career as a movie star for him to share those opinions,” Ben explained in Tuesday’s post. Blog PostIn it he showed some sympathy with his father’s views.
“I want transgender people to have access to the best medical care available and to live full, dignified lives, and I also don’t want teenagers to make decisions that they will later regret that will change their lives forever,” he wrote. “I am willing to leave finding the appropriate line between these two goals to people who know more about these things than I or my father do.
Dreyfuss has previously shocked audiences with his stances on social issues, including being a vocal supporter of blackface.
This story has been updated in light of Ben Dreyfuss’ blog post.
