Jack Black, one half of the American comedy rock duo Tenacious D, announced last night he no longer feels it is “appropriate” to continue the band’s tour following a controversial joke made by his bandmate Kyle Gass at their recent Sydney show.
Gass made the comment during their performance in Sydney on Sunday night, when he was asked to make a wish after he was presented with a cake for his 64th birthday. He appeared to reply: ‘Don’t miss Trump next time.’
The comment referenced the recent attempted assassination of the former president Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, over the weekend.
“I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,” Black wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.
“After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.”
Black expressed his gratitude to the band’s fans for their “support and understanding.”
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Gass has since apologised for his ‘dangerous and terrible mistake’.
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The joke has drawn significant attention from both international media and Australian outlets. Senator Ralph Babet called for the band to be deported from Australia immediately.
“I call on the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black, and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately,” Senator Babet’s statement reads. “Anything less than a deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump.”
Kevin Rudd, who is Australia’s US Ambassador, has also weighed in, saying that Gass should ‘grow up’ and ‘get a real job.’
The sold-out arena tour was Tenacious D’s first visit to Australia in over a decade, with gigs in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide over the next six days.
