Hollywood is no stranger to controversies relating to all issues ranging right from racism to nepotism. In recent years, ‘Jaws‘ star Richard Dreyfuss has been a subject of criticism for his outspoken views on issues like Oscar diversity requirements and the use of Blackface.
The controversy has showed up again at the ‘Jaws’ retrospective screening in Beverly on Saturday evening. Dreyfuss stirred further controversy by making inflammatory remarks about several sensitive subjects, including trans people, Barbra Streisand, the MeToo movement, and women in general. Here’s what happened.
Richard Dreyfuss Stirs Controversy With His Transphobic Comments
As Richard Dreyfuss’s comments caused some significant discomfort among people, an attendee Diane Wolfe clarified to the Boston Globe what the actor said, “[Dreyfuss] said that the parents of trans youth, allowing them to transition, was bad parenting and that someday those kids might change their minds,” the attendee recalled. He claimed there were several other things the actor said that offended many people from the audience, with many also staging a walkout from the screening.
During the event when Dreyfuss arrived onstage, audiences welcomed him with applause while a Taylor Swift song played. He was seen wearing a dress over his clothes, which he later removed before he sat down. A video posted to YouTube captured this entrance. After his address, reports indicate that dozens of patrons walked out of the venue.
In response, Cabot executive director J. Casey Soward also issued a statement apologizing for not foreseeing the provocative nature of Dreyfuss’s remarks. “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,” Soward stated in the statement.
“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,” he added.
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The Cabos Sends An Apology Email To Its Attendees
To further emphasize the apology and condemnation, the Cabot also sent an email to those who purchased tickets, as reported by New Bedford, Mass. radio station WBSM. The email clarified to the audiences that in contrast with the actor’s comments, their platform is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community.
“Dear Cabot Patrons, I am writing to address an important matter concerning last night’s event with Richard Dreyfuss at The Cabot,” the statement read. “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,” it continued.
“At The Cabot, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our community. The views expressed by Mr. Dreyfuss do not reflect our beliefs, and we do not endorse them in any way,” it stated.
The statement asserted that The Cabot takes full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for any discomfort it caused. It promised to take immediate steps to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. “Thank you for your understanding and continued support of The Cabot. We value your feedback and are dedicated to learning from this experience to better serve our community,” the statement concluded.
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