"Steven Spielberg ed that up. He ed it up good." Bruce Springsteen reveals how the legendary Hollywood director ruined a raunchy Jersey Shore tradition with his blockbuster Jaws

Bruce Springsteen with Stephen Spielberg at a red carpet event wearing suits — (Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for USC Shoah Foundation)

Bruce Springsteen has shared a surprisingly raunchy anecdote involving legendary director Steven Spielberg at a special benefit event that took place in New York last night (Thursday November 12).

The Museum of Modern Art's 2026 Film Benefit was attended by a variety of A-listers including Michelle Pfeiffer, Emily Blunt, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and more, with Spielberg himself honoured with a special award on the night.

Paying tribute to the Hollywood icon on stage, New Jersey native Springsteen jokingly suggested that Spielberg's classic 1975 blockbuster Jaws, in which a monstrous shark terrifies a local community, ruined a rather naughty coastal tradition of his.

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"In June of 1975, I went to a small theatre directly across from the Atlantic Ocean," he remarks in footage since postage to social media, "and I saw Jaws. I was 25 years old, and one of the great pleasures of the Jersey Shore in 1975 was night swimming - preferably naked on one of those 90 degree / 80 percent humidity, August Jersey nights....preferably with someone you wanted to have sex with!

"There was nothing like [it]; after the bars closed, you'd have a few drinks and a naked night swim. Steven Spielberg fucked that up. He fucked it up good. I ask myself, why? Why would a nice man like that...why would he do that?"

Watch a video of Springsteen's speech below.

Bruce Springsteen's most recent studio album, Only the Strong Survive, was released to positive reviews in 2022. In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, the singer-songwriter confirmed he may well have two new albums ready go to by the start of 2027, stating: "I’m currently working on a couple of records. I did finish one, and it is done. I’m in the process of working on this other one, which, because of the nature of the material, felt like it should come out first. So that’s the situation I’m in.

"I’m trying to finish that up, and I’d like to release that first," he added. "And then this other record that I made, which is not time-relevant, it can come out at any time and it’ll work."

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.