Two New York women are accusing actor Richard Dreyfuss of groping them backstage at a 2004 Broadway play, and they’re supporting their story with photos.
Pictures published by the New York Daily News on Tuesday show the 70-year-old “Jaws” actor squeezing one woman’s buttocks, and placing his hands near another woman’s crotch.
The women, only identified as Beth, 48, and Susan, 52, of Long Island, said Dreyfuss gave them a hands-on reception after a performance in “Sly Fox.” They said they followed someone at the theater offering to introduce them to Dreyfuss backstage. Once there, they said, the star’s touching was forceful and came without warning.
“The first thing he did was give me a hug, and he stuck his hand almost in the crack of my butt. He didn’t even give me any warning,” Beth told the Daily News.
Even though the photos show Beth smiling, she said the encounter left her feeling “so uncomfortable. It was such a weird, awkward feeling.”
Susan said Dreyfuss “kissed me without permission. I’m smiling in the photo, but it was a nervous smile. I didn’t know how to react. I was so surprised.”
Friends of the women confirmed to the Daily News that they heard about the events shortly after they occurred.
Both women said they decided to speak out about the bizarre encounter after hearing Dreyfuss deny accusations in November that he exposed himself to a Los Angeles writer in 1987. Dreyfuss admitted to being an “asshole” and an aggressive “flirt,” but denied wrongdoing.
A representative for Dreyfuss did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
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