Jack Black cancels Tenacious D tour after on-stage Trump comment
Jack Black has cancelled the rest of Tenacious D's Australia and New Zealand tour after his bandmate Kyle Gass’s on-stage joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was widely condemned.
Gass was celebrating his 64th birthday on stage at Sydney’s International Convention Centre on Sunday night, just hours after Trump was fired upon at a rally Pennsylvania, when Black presented him with a cake and asked for his birthday wish.
“Don’t miss Trump next time,” Gass replied.
The moment was captured and posted to TikTok where it quickly went viral, even attracting attention from radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, who proposed Tenacious D receive a lifetime ban from touring in Australia.
Since the moment garnered online attention, Kyle Gass has been dropped by his talent agency, Greene Talent, with rep Michael Greene telling TMZ they have parted ways due to the incident.
In the hours after the show, Jack Black took to Instagram where he shocked fans by announcing the rest of their tour would be cancelled, as the joke prompted a falling out between the two bandmates.
“I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,” Black wrote in a statement.
“After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
Gass has since apologised for the joke, saying, “The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake."
“I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement."
“I profoundly apologise to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”
Image credits: Reynaud Julien/APS-Medias/ABACA/Shutterstock Editorial/TikTok