Jack Black has cut ties with his Tenacious D bandmate of 30 years, Kyle Gass.
It's the latest update in a scandal that's been unfolding since Gass made a joke about the Donald Trump assassination attempt in the middle of their concert in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.
Former President Trump was injured when multiple shots were fired at the Republican's campaign rally in Pennsylvania the day prior.
In a statement shared to Instagram, Black said he was "blindsided" by Gass' joke and 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," he continued.
So, where did it all go wrong? Let's take a look at the timeline of Jack Black, Kyle Gass and the breakdown of Tenacious D.
Timeline of events in the breakdown of Tenacious D.
Kyle Gass jokes about the assassination attempt of Donald Trump on Sunday.
Band member Kyle Gass was presented with a birthday cake on stage at Sydney's ICC Theatre during Tenacious D's sold-out show on Sunday, July 14.
Asked to make a wish to celebrate his birthday, he announced: "Don't miss Trump next time."
The footage starts spreading on Monday.
Following the concert, which was attended by 9,000 people, footage began to spread across social media. There were mixed reactions.
Neither Black nor Gass responded to the initial reactions online.
Listen to Mamamia Out Loud unpack 'Jack Black and the Joke That Ended A Tour.' Story continued below.
Kyle Sandilands weighs in on Tuesday.
You may have missed his initial comments, but it seems that when KIIS FM radio host Kyle Sandilands is outraged, things get real.
On the Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday, Sandilands said he would be implementing a lifetime ban on Tenacious D appearing as guests.
"Someone’s promoting the assassination of another human being? Seriously, regardless of whether you like someone or not, wanting someone killed and promoting it is the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my life," Sandilands said.
"That's some serious, twisted s**t. And whoever that is, is banned for life. I never want to speak to him again."
Sandilands said he was "really surprised" the joke had been made at a Tenacious D concert.
"See, those two seem like normal people, not unhinged lunatics. A note to our talent bookers. I will not be participating in any future Tenacious D interviews. Someone wishing someone dead, that nearly got assassinated. All jokes aside, that’s too much for me."
Kyle's indignation sparked fresh fury online, with increasingly negative comments directed towards Black and Gass.
Tenacious D postpone their Newcastle show on Tuesday.
Hours before they were scheduled to perform at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, the band announced they would be performing their shows.
Jack Black & Kyle Gass release separate statements on Tuesday night.
Late on Tuesday night, Gass released a statement on Instagram to apologise for the joke.
"The line I improvised onstage in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don't cut violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment. I profoundly apologise to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused."
His post was met with supportive comments from fans, showing support for him.
"Anyone who knows you knows you didn't actually MEAN it, Kyle. You made a mistake, took accountability for it and apologised - which is more than we’re used to seeing from people these days," one person wrote.
One hour before Gass released his statement, Black shared his own statement where he announced the tour cancellation and distanced himself from the comments.
"I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form," he wrote.
"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."
Black turned his comments off.
Kyle Gass dropped by his agent.
On Wednesday morning, it was confirmed by Rolling Stone and BBC News that Gass had been dropped by his agent.
"Due to what occurred, we have parted ways," Michael Greene of Greene Talent told BBC News.
Kevin Rudd slams Kyle Gass at Republican Convention.
Former Prime Minister and current Australian Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, has since weighed in on the controversy.
Rudd said the joke made him "physically ill." He spoke about the joke while attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
"People might think that it is a bit of 'funny ha-ha' at a concert to run off at the mouth about this stuff. It's not. It's about physical life," Rudd said. "These people just [need to] grow up and find a decent job."
Tenacious D cancels the rest of their Australian & New Zealand tour on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, Frontier Touring confirmed the remaining six shows scheduled across Australia and New Zealand had been cancelled.
"All purchased tickets will receive a full refund," the tour company shared in a release.
There's been no word yet on what it means for the future of Tenacious D, but Jack Black has certainly distanced himself from Kyle Gass for the near future.
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