A year and a half ago, Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass made a joke that put his career on a screeching halt. And now, Kyle Gass revealed fallout with Jack Black because of said joke.
Kyle Gass made a controversial comment about the assassination attempt on now-President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally during a live show in the summer of 2024. The musician-actor has opened up about the international media storm he caused and the clash he has with band member Jack Black.
“I was naive, of course — people are gonna pick that up. But I just felt it was kind of a private moment. I thought I was safe in the bubble. And it was so fast,” Gass told Rolling Stones in an interview about his “five one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”
In July 2024, Gass and comedy group co-founder Jack Black performed a concert in Australia, where he recounts that before going on stage only vaguely seen a news item about a lone gunman having fired at Trump during a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the U.S. presidential candidate.
“I didn’t feel like I was in touch with it. If I weren’t over there, I think I would have gotten more gravity of an assassination attempt,” Gass said. Later on stage, a birthday cake filled with candles was passed around, and Black asked Gass to make a wish, where Gass improvised, saying, “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
Kyle Gass of Tenacious D is asked to make a wish on stage as he is presented with a birthday cake on his 64th bday.
— Rock Illustrated (@RockIllustrated) July 16, 2024
He says, “don’t miss Trump next time.”
Jack Black cancels the rest of their Spicy Meatball Tour. Gass apologizes on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/Gmh9aejWAj
The impromptu joke got some laughs and applause, but quickly the video circulated and started a wall of political outrage back in the U.S.
“It feels like such an impossible thing to describe, but what was being in the middle of all this like? It’s overwhelming. It’s like a tsunami of s*** rolling over you. And then there’s the regret. Like, ‘Why would I do that?’ I just didn’t put it together. And the ramifications were so huge,” Gass recalled.
The band ended its tour, and Gass issued an apology, but the damage was already done. Black made his own statement and distanced himself from his friend, although Gass seemed to understand Black’s behavior. Gass argued that he wasn’t upset at Black, but understood that he “was doing what he felt he had to do… I totally understood what he needed to protect. I didn’t begrudge him any of that.”
“He had to protect himself from his loose cannon partner over here. I totally understood once safety concerns got in.”
Thankfully, the pair “hashed it out” later on, and Gass teased that Tenacious D will return, saying, “We’re gonna come back — it’s gonna be bigger than Oasis. We will be back! We will return.”
While the internet swarmed with similar jokes, it’s always a different story for those in the public eye. Thankfully, the two have reconciled, and it’s not the end of Tenacious D.