Tenacious D‘s Kyle Gass deleted his Apology post on Instagram following a backlash over comments he made about Donald Trump on stage in Sydney. The musician initially wrote that he regretted saying “Don’t miss Trump next time” in response to the assassination attempt of the Republican candidate, confirming: “I am incredibly sorry for my serious lapse in judgment.”
The apology, posted to Instagram earlier this week, has since been deleted. There are now two recent posts on Gass’ account, one recalling one of his early roles in the film Model and another in reference to the Sydney incident. The latter is a video of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from above with the caption: “A birthday helicopter ride around Sydney Harbour, hours before the storm đ”. It is unclear why Gass deleted the apology.
Since Sunday nightâs show at Sydneyâs ICC Sydney Theatre, the fallout for Gass and Tenacious D has been significant. The band has canceled all remaining dates on its Spicy Meatball tour, as well as all future creative projects involving the comedy duo. Black, who presented Gass with a birthday cake onstage when his bandmate made the problematic wish about Trump, said he was also surprised.
âI was taken aback by what was said on Sundayâs show. I will never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,â Black wrote on Twitter. Instagram âAfter careful consideration, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative projects are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.â
In a separate statement, Gass issued his own (now deleted) apology. âThe line I improvised on stage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I no longer condone violence in any form,â he wrote. âWhat happened was a tragedy, and I am incredibly sorry for my serious lapse in judgment. I deeply apologize to those I have let down and sincerely regret the pain I have caused.â
Gass was later dropped by his agent, Michael Greene of Greene Talent, as confirmed by Rolling stone earlier this week. “We parted ways after what happened in Sydney,” Greene said in an email when contacted by Rolling stone. “THANKS.”
Tenacious D had several more shows scheduled in Australia and New Zealand this month. They had also just announced a series of five shows ahead of the 2024 elections in partnership with Rock the Vote.