Tenacious D fans were completely taken aback by the surprise announcement between longtime friends and bandmates Jack Black and Kyle Gass.
The comedy duo had been travelling around Australia on their Spicy Meatball tour, but surprisingly cancelled their final six shows after Gass made a divisive joke about the shooting of Donald Trump.
Gass caused controversy at Sydney’s ICC Theatre on Sunday when Black brought him a birthday cake and asked him to make a wish, prompting the singer to reply: “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
The comment referred to how a shot fired by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, missed Trump’s head and pierced his ear in a shooting that killed a spectator at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Showgrounds in Pennsylvania.
Amid backlash to the comment, the duo postponed their show in Newcastle on Tuesday before Black condemned his bandmate’s comment and cancelled the remainder of their Australasian tour.
Black’s abrupt decision and blunt statement left fans baffled, as she effectively ended her 30-year long relationship with Gass by announcing that all “future creative plans” were “on hold.”
Confused fans took to social media to wonder if there was “more to the story” following Black’s “extreme” decision to seemingly end their relationship over the comment, despite having been friends since the 1980s.
“There’s gotta be something more behind this Tenacious D thing. You don’t end a relationship like that and ruin your team’s livelihood over a joke. What’s tea?” wrote one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tenacious D fans were left completely baffled by the commotion that occurred between longtime friends and bandmates Jack Black and Kyle Gass.
Another said:From what Jack Black said, I think this goes beyond public opinion. It’s a D tenacious history bow.’
A third commented: ‘So is Tenacious D being “cancelled” by the mob, or is Jack Black cancelling the contract himself because he doesn’t want to deal with the negative attention/consequences?’
A fourth wrote: ‘Jack Black is he D tenacious fall Is stopping the tour a joke or what? Can’t you be that sensitive in the comedy and showbiz industry? Surely a joke can’t stop the D?
‘He D tenacious fall “Seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?” a fifth tweeted, while another added: “Jack Black being afraid of upsetting white people wasn’t on my bingo card.”
Other fans also specifically criticized the Black Hollywood actor for his decision, calling him a “coward” for turning on Gass amid the controversy.
“The fact that Jack Black is turning on Kyle Gass really pisses me off, I’m going to have to take a long walk,” one person wrote.
“You’re mad at Jack Black for what Kyle Gass said. I’m mad at Jack Black for turning his back on a 30-year relationship in order to maintain his celebrity status,” another commented.
Another unimpressed fan said: “It’s not Jack Black who’s throwing Kyle Gass overboard for making a Trump joke. What an absolute coward.”
“Jack Black is not to be praised. Kyle Gass was the scapegoat,” wrote another.
Black cancelled his Australian tour and condemned Gass (both pictured in September) after his bandmate caused controversy with a divisive onstage joke about Donald Trump.
Confused fans were left wondering if there was “more to the story” after Black’s “extreme” decision to seemingly end their relationship over the comment, despite having been friends since the 1980s.
On Tuesday, Black distanced himself from Gass in a strongly worded statement condemning his friend’s Trump joke and canceling the remainder of Tenacious D’s tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, he said: “What was said on Sunday’s show left me stunned. I would never tolerate hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.”
“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 decision comes just a month after he delivered a speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden, where he said “democracy was at stake” in the November election.
Less than an hour after Black’s statement, Gass shared an apology on his own Instagram where he described his joke as “inappropriate” and a “terrible mistake.”
He wrote: ‘The line I improvised on stage Sunday night was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.
“I do not condone any kind of violence, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy and I deeply regret my grave lack of judgment.
‘I deeply apologize to those I have disappointed and am sincerely sorry for any pain I have caused.’
Black simply liked Gass’ apology post in what appeared to be a small show of support for his longtime friend and bandmate following his own blunt statement.
Gass’s onstage joke referred to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Milwaukee, Pennsylvania, in a shooting that pierced Trump’s right ear and killed one spectator.
The remaining six shows were cancelled after Frontier Touring first confirmed Tuesday’s show in Newcastle had been called off just three hours before gates were due to open.
The comedy duo were not scheduled to end their Spicy Meatball Tour until July 26, and fans were left furious at the abrupt cancellation, as tickets will be refunded.
The Australian tour’s implosion comes after Gass and Black faced backlash in Australia following the divisive Trump shooting joke, with some local politicians criticising the comment.
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Now Australia’s ambassador to the United States, he said the joke had made him “physically ill”.
Meanwhile, Senator Ralph Babet, a staunch Trump supporter, called for Tenacious D to be deported from Australia over Gass’s comment.
Radio host Kyle Sandilands also banned Tenacious D from his radio show for life in light of the comment.