John Rich has doubled down on his Jack Black comments, after the star announced the Tenacious D tour is canceled following his bandmate's Donald Trump remark.
The comedy rock duo, which Black co-founded with musician Kyle Gass in 1994, were set to tour the U.S., Europe and Australia as part of The Spicy Meatball Tour. However, concert promoter Frontier Touring said upcoming dates were canceled on Tuesday—just six stops into the tour—following Gass's joke about the assassination attempt on Trump.
The former president was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday when a gunman open-fired on the crowd with an AR15-style rifle. Trump was struck in his right ear before being hurried off stage by Secret Service agents. One rally attendee was killed in the attack, while two others suffered injuries.
A representative for Trump later confirmed that the Republican politician was "fine" after being treated at a local hospital.
A viral video filmed during Tenacious D's show in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, shows Gass being surprised with a birthday cake. When asked to "Make a wish" while blowing out the candles, the 64-year-old quipped: "Don't miss Trump next time."
The comment sparked backlash online, with Australian Senator Ralph Babet calling for the band's deportation.
John Rich took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate the tour's cancellation.
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!" the country music star and vocal Trump supporter wrote on Tuesday, sharing a link to an article on the news.
However, Rich appeared to believe that Black was the one who made the remark about the assassination attempt, writing: "@jackblack had to cancel his entire tour after wishing death on DJT 'next time.'"
Newsweek has reached out to Jack Black for comment via email.
This isn't the first time that Rich has taken aim at the actor. On July 4, the singer mocked Black on X for endorsing Biden in November's general election.
Sharing a clip of Black at a Biden fundraiser on June 15—in which the 54-year-old donned a pair of American flag overalls—Rich wrote: "For a comedian, Ol [Jack Black] doesn't have the best timing does he?"
In a post to Instagram on Tuesday, Gass apologized for the remark, calling it a "highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake."
"I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone," Gass said.
"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."
In a separate post, Black said he was "blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday."
"I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form," the comedian said on social media.
"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."
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
