Kyle Gass is breaking his silence over the prank that abruptly halted his and Jack Black’s band Tenacious D’s tour.
talking to rolling stone In an interview published on January 14, Gass reflected on the controversy surrounding his onstage comment about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and confirmed that the band will reunite in the future.
The backlash stemmed from a July 2024 concert in Australia, where Gass joked that his birthday wish would be “don’t miss Trump next time,” days after the former president was wounded in a shooting at a campaign rally. Black quickly canceled the band’s remaining tour dates and said he felt “blindsided” by the comment, prompting widespread criticism and a public apology from Gass.
Looking back, Gass admitted he failed to grasp the gravity of the moment. “I didn’t feel like I was in touch with it. If I had been there, I think I would have felt more of the severity of an assassination attempt,” he told the outlet, explaining that being abroad made him feel disconnected from the US news cycle.
He also defended Black’s response, saying “he was doing what he felt he had to do.” Gass added, “We’re always separate people and on different career paths,” noting that he understood Black’s need to protect his career.
“It was hard to take responsibility for it, but it was my f–k,” Gass said. “Five one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”
The couple eventually “discussed it,” which Gass described as difficult but necessary. “It’s like a marriage,” he said. “You go through these ups and downs and try to understand your partner.”
As for the future of Tenacious D, Gass made one thing clear: “We won’t be serving D wine before D time rolls around, but we’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
