According to an insider, Jack Black quickly ended Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate attempt to avoid being forced out of Hollywood and jeopardizing his future films.
The 54-year-old School of Rock actor announced Tuesday that the comedy band’s tour has been cancelled and all of their “creative plans” are on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass, 64, said he wished Donald Trump’s would-be assassin had not escaped.
Jack was taken aback by Kyle’s comments and quickly decided to do damage control to avoid ruining his career and jeopardizing his reputation in the industry.
“Jack Black is still Kyle Gass’ best friend,” an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com. “He didn’t expect Kyle’s dig at Trump and with his status in Hollywood, he had to squash the controversy head on.
Although Jack was surprised and even taken aback by the reaction, he made sure to get ahead of it.
Jack Black quickly canceled Tenacious D’s tour in a desperate attempt to save his reputation in Hollywood, an insider told DailyMail.com
Jack, 54, announced that the tour had been scrapped and that all their “creative plans” were on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass caused controversy with a comment about Donald Trump
‘Jack doesn’t want his tour to be cancelled and by ending the tour and distancing himself from everything and the Kyle joke, he hopes people will quickly forget about it.
“There are so many big movies that Jack is tied to right now that it would be career suicide. We will see Tenacious D again, but that could be years away.”
Jack is currently in post-production on three films, including the upcoming sci-fi action comedy Borderlands, due out later this year.
He will star in the live-action film based on the video game Minecraft, alongside Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks. The film will be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.
He will also share the screen with Keegan-Michael Key in the new Christmas comedy Dear Santa, which follows a young boy who accidentally sends his wish list to Satan.
Kyle, who has consistently criticized Trump, reportedly fears for his friendship with Jack.
“Obviously Kyle didn’t want it to get to this point,” the insider said. “He feels genuinely guilty about the fallout.
‘He thought it was a throwaway line during a show, but it’s taken on a life of its own and he’s accepted his current fate.
“He just hopes that people forgive him and that it doesn’t jeopardize his friendship with Jack.”
While on stage, Kyle indicated he wished Trump’s would-be assassin hadn’t missed him
Tenacious D was on stage in Sydney, Australia on Sunday when Jack brought a birthday cake for bandmate Kyle and asked him to make a wish.
Kyle then responded, “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
The audience reacted mostly with cheers and laughter, apart from a few disappointed reactions.
After the show, Jack spoke out against his bandmate in a statement.
“I was surprised by what was said on the show on Sunday,” he wrote. “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.
“After much consideration, 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.”
The comment was a reference to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday
Kyle, who apologized, has since been fired by his talent agency
Kyle, who has since been fired by his agency, also released a statement on Tuesday: “The line I improvised on stage in Sydney on Sunday night was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.
‘I do not condone any form of violence, against anyone.
“What happened was a tragedy, and I am deeply sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I sincerely apologize to those I have disappointed and am truly sorry for any pain I have caused.”
Jack and his band were on the Spicy Meatball Tour, which kicked off in May and was scheduled to end in October.
They had already performed in the US and Europe and were scheduled to perform in several cities in Australia and New Zealand before returning to the US for more shows.
They also plan to hit the streets in October, before Election Day, to raise voter awareness as part of Rock the Vote, an independent nonprofit organization.
They were scheduled to perform five times in college towns, most of which are now sold out, including Columbus, Bloomington, Madison, Kalamazoo and State College, Pennsylvania.
Last month, Jack delivered a viral speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden
The band has not confirmed whether the plug has been pulled on these dates. All proceeds would be donated to Rock the Vote.
Australian Senator Ralph Babet joined the chorus of outraged voices, demanding that the band be expelled from the country following Kyle’s controversial comments.
After the shooting that left a bystander dead on Saturday, detectives were searching for clues about what motivated Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, 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 in the man shot dead by the Secret Service has led to many conspiracy theories.
The FBI suspects that Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the meeting, acted alone.
Last month, Jack gave a speech at a popular fundraiser for President Joe Biden in Los Angeles, expressing his support for 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.