Kyle Gass said he and Jack Black have “hashed it out” after a show in Sydney back in 2024 made global headlines.
The incident occurred on July 14th, 2024, during the duo’s Australian tour at the ICC Sydney Theatre – also Gass’s 64th birthday. When Black presented him with a birthday cake and told him to make a wish, Gass quipped, “Don’t miss Trump next time”, a reference to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump that had taken place only hours earlier.
What was intended as a spontaneous joke quickly spiralled into a political firestorm after videos of the moment went viral. The backlash was severe, with the remainder of Tenacious D’s Australian tour and an upcoming US run cancelled, and condemnation from right-wing commentators and an Australian politician, who called for the band’s deportation. Gass was also dropped by his agent.
Black also publicly distanced himself, saying he was “blindsided” and that he would “never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form”, ultimately pausing all future creative plans for the band.
In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Gass discussed the fallout from the Australian gig.
“We had to take the break,” he said. “And I got it. Jack has this magnificent career; I can’t even count the franchises now. So as hard as it was, I just had to take the long ride home.”
Gass admitted, however, that he was not aware Black would release his own statement.
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“No, we were in our own camps at that point,” Gass explained. “Jack has an agent, manager, and publicist, all that stuff, and they were doing their thing. And I was over here trying to figure out the best thing to do.”
He continued: “At the end of the day, we’re friends. I’ve known Jack since he was 18, and it’s been such a long marriage, really. You go up and down, and we’ve always taken long breaks. He’s had a lot of stuff to do, and I’ve got my other projects. So it doesn’t even feel that different now.”
Gass added in the interview that the two are on good terms and Tenacious D “will be back”.
“We hashed it out. And it was hard. It is like a marriage,” he said. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner.”
Read the full interview here.