Richard Dreyfuss makes waves at Q&A screening of JAWS

A theater in Massachusetts has issued an apology to its patrons following a controversial appearance by Richard Dreyfuss on Saturday night, which led to boos and walkouts. Dreyfuss, 78, was at The Cabot in Beverly, Massachusetts, for a Q&A session followed by a screening of Jaws, the 1975 blockbuster that launched his career.

Dreyfuss was accused of making derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ community, women in Hollywood, and his collaborators. "We deeply regret that Mr. Dreyfuss's comments during the event were not in line with the values of inclusivity we uphold at The Cabot," the press release began. "We understand that his remarks were distressing and offensive to many of our community members, and for that, we sincerely apologize."

"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. We take full responsibility for the oversight in not anticipating the direction of the conversation and for any discomfort caused."

In response to the controversy, one attendee, Rogue Mama, tweeted: "Came here to see if Richard Dreyfuss had been cancelled tonight after appearing at #TheCabot in Beverly." Another person tweeted an alternative title for the evening: "An Evening of Misogyny and Homophobia With Richard Dreyfuss. Disappointing doesn't even begin to cover it."

Ironically, on May 28, three days after Dreyfuss's appearance, the theater is hosting an event titled "How Discrimination Shows Up in Our Community and What We Can Do About It."

On May 24, Dreyfuss appeared for a similar session at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. An attendee wrote on Facebook: "Wow. He was awful. Sexist, mean, arrogant. I walked out as did many others even before the Jaws screening. Awful."

Just 12 months ago, Dreyfuss was widely criticized for his remarks on the new diversity and inclusion requirements at the Academy Awards, saying they "make me vomit." He made those comments during an episode of PBS' Firing Line, arguing that the Academy was treating people like children by implementing the new criteria.

Host Margaret Hoover asked Dreyfuss what he thought about the inclusivity rules, to which he replied: "They make me vomit. No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is. What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people's feelings? You can't legislate that. You have to let life be life and I'm sorry, I don't think there is a minority or majority in the country that has to be catered to like that... 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 be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is."

The Cabot Cinema's management issued a full apology to customers who attended Dreyfuss's appearance

Dreyfuss has long been outspoken about his belief in the Constitution. In 2008, he founded The Dreyfuss Initiative, a nonprofit that promotes teaching about American democracy in classrooms nationwide. The initiative provides teachers with videos and educational tools.

In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, he called for a "civil strike" in support of the U.S. Constitution to encourage civic participation. "I'm going to send you a copy of the preamble to the Constitution," he said. "If there's anything in it that you don't agree with, don't sign it; just send me back an explanation. You will agree with everything, because it's beautifully crafted and it's meant for all. And if I get 500,000 signatures, I'm going to call for a civil strike."

If you would like to write for The Daily Jaws, please visit our ‘work with us’ page

For all the latest Jaws, shark and shark movie news, follow The Daily Jaws on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.