Maybe they never met him? My daughter met him and said he was a nice guy. I think it probably has to do with some of the goofy movies he did. He owed money in back taxes a few years ago and took jobs he probably would have passed over otherwise.
Maybe because he made some movies they didn't like? The one of his that I didn't like was the one about the aliens attacking earth - there was no real ending, it just left you hanging.