Jack Black Cancels Tour After Bandmate’s Assassination Remark
Trump’s attempted assassination domino-ing into the cancellation of Jack Black’s comedy-rock band’s tour was not on anyone’s 2024 bingo card, but maybe we should have thrown out bingo cards like three election cycles ago. Anyway, Black has cut short the Tenacious D tour following bandmate Kyle Gass’s controversial birthday wish, made onstage in Sydney on Sunday, July 14. The wish was a simple directive for would-be Trump shooters. “Don’t miss Trump next time,” he said when Black presented him with a birthday cake at their concert. “I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,” Black wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on July 16. “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.” He added, “After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.”
Gass’s remark triggered immediate outrage when the video emerged online, even if some viewed the comment as a joke. One right-wing Australian senator was so offended that he called for Gass’s deportation. Ralph Babet said in a statement that both musicians “should be immediately removed from the country” and demanded that their visas be revoked. “To advocate and or wish for the assassination of a President is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form,” read the statement on Twitter. “This was not a joke, he was deadly serious when he wished for the death of the President.” We wonder if Justin Timberlake’s infamous utterance “This is going to ruin the tour” came to Black’s mind.
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