Jack Black was flanked by ‘Secret Service-style’ bodyguards as he greeted fans in Sydney on Monday, just hours before he cancelled his band Tenacious D’s Australia tour.
The American actor, 54, was spotted leaving his luxury hotel surrounded by security guards wearing formal suits and radio earpieces.
The outing came a day after his Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass made a divisive joke about Donald Trump’s shooting on stage at Sydney’s ICC Theatre on Sunday.
Gass caused controversy when Black brought a birthday cake out for him and asked him to make a wish, prompting the singer to reply: ‘Don’t miss Trump next time.’
The remark referenced how a shot fired by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, missed Trump’s head and pierced his ear during a shooting at his campaign rally at the Butler Farm Showgrounds in Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, Black distanced himself from his longtime bandmate Gass as he issued a blunt statement condemning the remark and cancelling the rest of Tenacious D’s Australian tour.
Black was flanked by heavy security as he was approached by fans outside his Sydney hotel before the cancellation.
He was surrounded by men who sported formal suits, name tags and radio earpieces as he left his hotel.
Jack Black was flanked by ‘Secret Service-style’ bodyguards as he greeted fans in Sydney on Monday, just hours before he cancelled his band Tenacious D’s Australia tour
The American actor, 54, was spotted leaving his luxury Sydney hotel surrounded by security guards wearing radio earpieces as he stopped to put his arms around fans for photographs
The vast security detail didn’t stop Jack from stopping to sign autographs for fans who greeted him outside his luxury hotel just hours after Sunday night’s show.
The School Of Rock star was seen wrapping his arms around two fans as they posed for a photograph together, while his bodyguards stood close by and watched on.
Black, who cut a laidback figure in a tie-dye T-shirt and colourful shorts, was then seen being flanked by the bodyguards as he walked off towards his vehicle.
After his controversial Sydney show, Black travelled to Newcastle ahead of Tenacious D’s scheduled show at the Entertainment Centre, and had been spotted out-and-about exploring the city.
However, just three hours before doors were set to open, Frontier Touring confirmed Tuesday’s show would no longer be going ahead, before later clarifying that the rest of the tour was cancelled.
‘Frontier Touring regret to advise that the remaining dates of Tenacious D’s tour of Australia and New Zealand have been cancelled,’ they wrote in a statement.
‘Ticket holders who purchased tickets via authorised ticketing outlets will receive a full refund. A communication to all ticket holders will be sent today with more information.’
Black was seen surrounded by multiple ‘Security Service-style’ bodyguards who sported formal suits, name tags and radio earpieces as he left his hotel
Black, who cut a laidback figure in a tie-dye T-shirt and colourful shorts, was flanked by his security guards as he walked off towards his vehicle
Black also issued a statement confirming the remaining six shows on Tenacious D’s Australasian tour would no longer go ahead as he condemned Gass’ Trump joke.
Black and Gass have been friends since the mid-1980s but his blunt statement could effectively ended their popular band and working relationship.
Distancing himself from Gass, he told Daily Mail Australia: ‘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.
‘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.’
The comedy duo were not due to wrap up their Spicy Meatball Tour until July 26, with fans left fuming over the abrupt cancellation as tickets are due to be refunded.
Many Tenacious D fans have also criticised Black in the wake of the controversy and branded him a ‘coward’ for turning on his longtime bandmate.
‘Jack Black turning on Kyle Gass is legitimately upsetting to me, I’m gonna have to take a long walk,’ one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘You’re upset at Jack Black because of what Kyle Gass said. I’m upset at Jack Black for turning his back on a 30 year long partnership for the sake of keeping his celebrity status,’ another commented.
The outing came hours before Black called off Tenacious D’s Australian tour on Tuesday and condemned his bandmate Kyle Gass (both pictured) after he made a divisive Trump joke
Another unimpressed fan said: ‘Not Jack Black throwing Kyle Gass under the bus for making a joke about Trump. What an absolute coward.’
‘There’s GOT to be more to this Tenacious D thing. You don’t end a relationship like that and screw up the livelihoods of your crew over a joke. Like, what’s tea?’ one said.
Black’s decision comes just one month after he delivered a speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden, where he said ‘democracy was at stake’ in November’s election.
The shock tour cancellation comes after some Australian politicians have criticised Gass’ quip about the shooting, which killed one spectator and injured others.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is now Australia’s ambassador to the United States, argued that the joke had made him ‘physically ill’.
‘It makes me feel sick someone would joke about violence. Physically ill,’ Rudd told news.com.au while speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
‘People might think it’s a bit of “funny haha” at a concert to run off at the mouth off about this stuff. It’s not.
‘It’s about threats to physical life; it’s about the near assassination of a former and prospective President of the United States, depending on the votes of the American people.
Gass caused controversy on stage in Sydney when Black brought a birthday cake out for him and asked him to make a wish, prompting the singer to reply: ‘Don’t miss Trump next time’
‘It’s about the murder of innocent civilians and two people being seriously wounded.’
Meanwhile, Senator Ralph Babet – an avid Trump supporter – called for Tenacious D to be deported from Australia because of Gass’ remark.
Babet, who is a conservative member of the United Australia Party, condemned Gass’ remark as as ‘egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form’.
He described Trump as the ‘soon-to-be 47th President’, despite the fact Trump is still in the running against President Joe Biden ahead of the November 2024 election.
‘Tenacious D should be immediately removed from the country after wishing for the assassination of Donald Trump at their Sydney concert,’ Babet said in a statement.
‘I condemn in the strongest possible way the call to political violence by Tenacious D in Sydney on Sunday.
‘To advocate or wish for the assassination of a President is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form.
The remark referenced how a shot fired by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, missed Trump’s head and pierced his ear during a shooting at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania
‘This was not a joke, he was deadly serious when he wished for the death of the President.’
Babet called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to support his call for the band’s deportation as he continued his strongly-worded statement.
Babet changed his cover picture on X to a photograph of Trump bleeding after the rally shooting, while he previously penned a letter of support to the former US president ahead of the 2024 election.
Elsewhere, Kyle Sandilands also banned Tenacious D from his radio show for life in light of the comment.
