Richard Dreyfuss, the 77-year-old acting legend renowned for his role in "Jaws," has regretfully announced the cancellation of his appearance at a fan meet-and-greet due to a severe bout of bronchitis. On Friday, via social media, he conveyed this news to the eager fans awaiting him at SharkCon in Tampa, Florida, expressing his profound disappointment over the diagnosis.
"Hey, fellow convention-goers," Dreyfuss said in a video posted on SharkCon's official Instagram account, "It's with immense regret that I must inform you I've been diagnosed with... viral... um, what's it called again?" His wife, Svetlana Erokhin, stepped in from off-camera, "Bronchitis," she replied. "The doctors have advised against traveling by air, and it's a five-hour flight for me to get there. I am truly sorry because I had planned to attend and was looking forward to it so much, but I can't risk spreading it to anyone or worsening my own condition."
"I feel terrible about not being there and even worse about the thought of potentially exposing any of you to this obviously highly contagious illness," Dreyfuss continued. "But there will be other opportunities, and I promise to make every effort to attend the next event." Dreyfuss semi-jokingly added that he hoped fans would "feel sorry for me and sorry for yourselves." "I'm in a lot of pain, and my health has to come first," he affirmed. "I take comfort in knowing I have time and enough health left."
"And wonderful fans!" Svetlana added. "We love you, miss each and every one of you, and we'll see you soon," Erokhin echoed.
In the caption accompanying the video, SharkCon wrote: "All prepaid autograph and photo op fees will be automatically refunded without the need to contact us. Refunds may take 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank's processing time. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding."
