Tenacious D star Kyle Gass has returned to Instagram to share his first post since apologizing for joking about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
In a statement issued on Instagram on Tuesday, Gass' bandmate Jack Black announced that their tour had been axed and "all future creative plans are on hold" following the comment about Trump, which was made during a concert in Australia.
As the two-man band performed at Sydney's ICC Theatre on July 14, Black brought a birthday cake out to Gass and asked his bandmate to make a wish, garnering the response: "Don't miss Trump next time."
Amid the subsequent fallout, Gass shared an Instagram post in which he deemed his remarks "dangerous and a terrible mistake," while apologizing for his "severe lack of judgment."
"The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake," Gass wrote on Tuesday. "I don't condone 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 apologize to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused."
Returning to the platform for the first time on Thursday, musician and actor Gass opted to focus on his career as he shared a throwback photo of himself posing before a pair of fashion store mannequins.
"One of my first acting roles was in the motion picture #mannequin from 1987," he captioned the post. Mannequin is classic romantic comedy starring Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy. Gass is not listed in the movie's credits.
The post comes after Trump was shot at minutes into his speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. A gunman opened fire on the gathering, striking Trump in his right ear. He was surrounded by Secret Service agents and led from the stage after defiantly raising his hand in a clenched fist.
One rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured, according to the Secret Service. The gunman was fatally shot by the service's snipers at the scene.
Following Gass' joke about the shooting, Black said in a statement on Instagram that he was "blindsided" by the comment and announced that the band was pulling out of further planned shows.
"I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday," Black wrote. "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.
Black shared the post with the comments switched off. A previous post, in which Black wished Gass a happy birthday on July 14, shows the two men posing side by side before golden balloons spelling out "Spicy Meatball Tour." The post has since been inundated with comments criticizing Gass' onstage remark.
Formed in 1994, comedy rock duo Tenacious D had planned to play three remaining sold-out shows in Australia, starting with a concert in Brisbane on Thursday. They then had two shows scheduled for New Zealand before performing at a handful of shows in the United States in October.
Trump has been formally named as the Republican presidential nominee at the ongoing Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. On the July 15 opening day of the convention, Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate.
Last month, Black showed support for President Joe Biden. On June 15, he was among the attendees at a star-studded fundraiser that included Jimmy Kimmel, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand.
Taking to the stage, Black, wearing American flag overalls, joked that he turned down offers to appear at everything from serving as an MC at a bat mitzvah to being a judge at an avocado festival to back Biden at the event.
"And when the president wins in November—yeah!—I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a sweet shoutout in his victory speech for what I gave up to be here," he said. "Because when democracy is at stake, Jack Black answers the call. Mr. President, you're welcome."
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