Jack Black has quickly cancelled Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate bid to avoid being banned from Hollywood and jeopardising his upcoming films, a source has claimed.
The 54-year-old School of Rock actor announced Tuesday that the comedy band’s tour had been canceled and all of its “creative plans” were on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass, 64, said he wished the would-be Donald Trump assassin hadn’t been missing.
Jack was blindsided by Kyle’s comments and quickly rushed into damage control to prevent “career suicide” and derailing his position in the industry.
“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 Black quickly cancelled Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate attempt to save his reputation in Hollywood, a source told DailyMail.com
Jack, 54, announced the tour had been cancelled and all his “creative plans” were on hold after bandmate Kyle Gass sparked controversy with a comment about Donald Trump.
‘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.”
Jack 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.
Kyle, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, is said to fear for his friendship with Jack.
“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.’
While on stage, Kyle expressed that he wished Trump’s would-be assassin hadn’t missed.
Tenacious D was on stage in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday when Jack brought out a birthday cake for his bandmate Kyle and asked him to make a wish.
At that point, Kyle replied, “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
The crowd responded mostly with cheers and laughter, with only a few disappointed reactions.
After the show, Jack spoke out against his bandmate in a statement.
“What was said on Sunday’s show left me perplexed,” he wrote. “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.”
The comment was in reference to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Kyle, who issued an apology, was later fired by his talent agency.
Kyle, who has since been fired from his talent agency, also issued his own statement on Tuesday, writing: ‘The line I improvised on stage on Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.
‘I do not condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.
“What happened was a tragedy and I am deeply sorry for my grave lack of judgment. I deeply apologize to those I have disappointed and I sincerely regret any pain I have caused.”
Jack and his band were on the Spicy Meatball Tour, which started in May and ended 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.
Last month, Jack gave a speech that went viral at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden.
The band has not confirmed whether the show has been cancelled on these dates. All proceeds will be donated to Rock the Vote.
Australian Senator Ralph Babet joined a chorus of outraged voices, calling for the band to be deported following Kyle’s 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, Jack 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.