Tenacious D's Kyle Gass has deleted his Instagram apology amid intense backlash over a controversial comment he made in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The musician sparked outrage Sunday during a concert in Sydney’s ICC Sydney Theatre, when his bandmate Jack Black asked him to make a wish onstage and he replied, "Don't miss Trump next time," Billboard reported.
The fallout that ensued was harsh.
Black promptly canceled Tenacious D's tour and put on hold "all future creative plans" as calls for their deportation gained traction. Gass was also dropped by his agent. He initially released an apology on Instagram that has since been removed.
"I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone," he wrote in the message, according to Billboard. "What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I profoundly apologize to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused."
Black also released an apology while notably distancing himself from Gass.
"I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday," the actor, comedian, and singer said earlier this week. "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. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding."
Frontier Touring has canceled six concerts in Australia and New Zealand, including Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wellington, and Auckland. The status of Tenacious D's five U.S. shows in October is still uncertain.
Meanwhile, Australia's former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd slammed Gass, telling local media, "It makes me feel sick someone would joke about violence. Physically ill. People might think it’s a bit of ‘funny haha’ at a concert to run off at the mouth off about this stuff."
"It’s not," he added. "It’s about threats to physical life; it’s about the near assassination of a former and prospective president of the United States, depending on the votes of the American people. It’s about the murder of innocent civilians and two people being seriously wounded."
United Australia Party Sen. Ralph Babet also spoke out, calling for the deportation of Tenacious D.
"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," Babet said in a statement.
Gass fueled outrage after he posted a new video of a flight over Sydney Harbour on Instagram.
"Birthday helicopter ride around Sydney Harbour, hours before the storm," he wrote with a winking emoji.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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