Jack Black swiftly pulled the plug on Tenacious D's tour in a desperate bid to avoid being ousted from Hollywood and jeopardizing his upcoming movies, an insider has claimed.
The School of Rock actor, 54, announced on Tuesday that the comedy band's tour had been axed and that all of their 'creative plans' are on hold after his bandmate Kyle Gass, 64, said he wished Donald Trump's would-be assassin hadn't missed.
Jack was blindsided by Kyle's comments and quickly scrambled to conduct damage control in order to save himself from 'career suicide' and derailing his standing in the industry.
'Jack Black is still best friends with Kyle Gass,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'He wasn't expecting the jab that Kyle made about Trump and with his standing in Hollywood, he had to lock this controversy down instantly.
'Though Jack was surprised by it and even surprised by the reaction, he made sure to get ahead of it.
'Jack isn't looking to be cancelled and by ending the tour and stepping away from it all and Kyle's joke, he is hoping that people will quickly forget it.
'There are so many huge movies Jack is attached to right now and to derail that would be career suicide. We will see Tenacious D again, but it could be years from now.'
Jack currently has three movies in post-production, including the upcoming sci-fi action-comedy Borderlands, which is slated for release later this year.
He plays the lead in the live-action film based on the video game Minecraft, alongside Jason Momoa and Danielle Brooks which is due in cinemas on April 4, 2025.
He will also be sharing the screen with Keegan-Michael Key in new Christmas comedy, Dear Santa, which follows a young boy who accidentally sends his wish list to Satan.
Kyle, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, is said to be fearing for his friendship with Jack.
'Kyle never wanted it to get to this point, obviously,' the insider said. 'He genuinely feels bad about the fallout.
'He thought it was a throwaway line during a show, but it has taken a life of its own and he is accepting his current fate.
'He just hopes that people will forgive him and that it won't impact his friendship with Jack.'
Tenacious D was on stage in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday when Jack brought a birthday cake for bandmate Kyle and asked him to make a wish.
At the time, Kyle replied: 'Don't miss Trump next time.'
The crowd mostly responded with cheering and laughing, with just a few disappointed reactions.
Following the show, Jack spoke out against his bandmate in a statement.
'I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,' he 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.'
Kyle, who has since been dropped by his talent agency, also issued his own statement on Tuesday, writing: 'The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.
'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.'
Jack and his band were on the Spicy Meatball Tour, which kicked off in May and was set to wrap in October.
They had already completed dates in US and Europe and were due to perform in various cities across Australia and New Zealand before returning to the states for more shows.
They are also scheduled to hit the road in October before Election Day to raise voter awareness as part of Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan non-profit organization.
They were scheduled to play five dates in college towns, most of which have sold out, including Columbus, Bloomington, Madison, Kalamazoo, and State College, Pennsylvania.
The band has not confirmed if the plug has been pulled on these dates. All proceeds were to be donated to Rock the Vote.
Australian senator Ralph Babet joined a chorus of outraged voices and asked for the band to be deported following Kyle's controversial comments.
In the wake of the shooting that killed one spectator on Saturday, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, to carry out the shocking attack.
The FBI said they were investigating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by the Secret Service led conspiracy theories to flourish.
The FBI said it believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone.
Last month, Jack delivered a speech at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for president Joe Biden, in which he endorsed the leader.
The event, which raised more than $30million, was also attended by former president Barack Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand.
