Jack Black appeared in Los Angeles on Saturday after cancelling his Tenacious D tour when his bandmate Kyle Gass became embroiled in a scandal for making a joke about the attempt on Donald Trump’s life.
Hours after the shooting, Gass celebrated his birthday on stage in Sydney, where Black presented him with a cake and asked him to make a wish.
“Next time, don’t miss Trump,” Gass said, drawing laughter and an explosive round of applause from the live audience at the ICC Theater.
The comment sparked an explosive controversy that led Black to publicly declare that Gass’ joke had “caught him by surprise,” canceling Tenacious D’s tour and announcing that “all future creative plans are on hold.”
Following the furor, Black took to the streets this weekend in Los Angeles wearing a T-shirt depicting a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Jack Black resurfaced in Los Angeles on Saturday after cancelling his Tenacious D tour when bandmate Kyle Gass made a controversial joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The comment sparked an explosive controversy that led Black to publicly declare that Gass’ joke had “caught him by surprise” and cancel Tenacious D’s tour.
Black announced the cancellation of the tour on Tuesday, three days after the shooting at a Trump rally that claimed the life of former fire chief Corey Comperatore when he threw himself in front of his family to shield them from bullets.
“What was said on Sunday’s show left me stunned. I would never tolerate hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,” he wrote.
“After much consideration, I no longer believe it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour and all future creative plans are on hold. I thank the fans for their support and understanding.”
Black’s fans attacked him online for calling out his decades-long friend and collaborator over a single controversial joke.
Gass also released a statement apologizing for his comment, which he described as “highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.”
However, when his career went south and his talent agency dropped him, Gass eventually deleted the apology from his social media.
Black has canceled Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate bid to avoid being banned from Hollywood and jeopardizing his upcoming films, a source has claimed.
Gass’ comments caught him by surprise and he quickly rushed into damage control to prevent “career suicide” and derailing his standing in the industry.
Following the furor, Black took to the streets this weekend in Los Angeles wearing a T-shirt depicting a phoenix rising from the ashes.
“After much reflection, I no longer believe it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold,” he wrote in his statement.
The comment was in reference to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
“Jack Black remains best friends with Kyle Gass,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. “He was not expecting the snide comment Kyle made about Trump and, with his stature in Hollywood, he had to resolve this controversy immediately.”
‘Although Jack was surprised by it and even shocked by the reaction, he made sure to get ahead of it.
‘Jack isn’t looking to get cancelled and as he finishes the tour and gets away from it all and Kyle’s joke, he hopes people will forget about him quickly.
“There are so many important films that Jack is involved in right now that derailing them would be career suicide. We will see Tenacious D again, but it could be many years from now.”
Black currently has three films in post-production, including the upcoming sci-fi action comedy Borderlands, which is scheduled for release later this year.
He plays the lead role in the live-action film based on the video game Minecraft, alongside Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks, which is set to hit theaters on April 4, 2025.
He’ll also share the screen with Keegan-Michael Key in the new holiday comedy, Dear Santa, which follows a boy who accidentally sends his wish list to Satan.
Gass, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, is said to fear for his friendship with Black.
While on stage, Gass expressed that he wished Trump’s would-be assassin had not missed.
Black quickly cancelled Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate attempt to save his position in Hollywood, a source told DailyMail.com
“Kyle never wanted it to get to this point, obviously,” the source said. “He really feels bad about the consequences.”
‘He thought it was a throwaway line during a show, but it’s taken on a life of its own and he’s embracing his current fate.
‘He just hopes people forgive him and that it doesn’t affect his friendship with Jack…’
Until it was canceled Tuesday, Black and Gass were on the Spicy Meatball Tour, which began in May and was set to end in October.
They had already completed dates in the United States and Europe and were scheduled to perform in several cities in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the States for more shows.
They are also scheduled to hit the road in October before Election Day to raise awareness among voters as part of Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization.
They were scheduled to play five dates in college towns, most of which were already sold out, including Columbus, Bloomington, Madison, Kalamazoo and State College, Pennsylvania.
The band has not confirmed whether the show has been cancelled on these dates. All proceeds will be donated to Rock the Vote.
Last month, Jack gave a speech that went viral at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden.
Australian Senator Ralph Babet joined a chorus of outraged voices, calling for the band to be deported following Gass’ controversial comments.
Following the shooting that killed a bystander on Saturday, investigators were searching for clues about what may have driven 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to carry out the shocking attack.
The FBI said it was investigating it as a possible act of domestic terrorism, but the lack of a clear ideological motive on the part of the man shot dead by the Secret Service has led to conspiracy theories flourishing.
The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone.
Last month, Black gave a speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden, where he endorsed the leader.
The event, which raised more than $30 million, was also attended by former President Barack Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand.
