Tenacious D co-founder Kyle Gass has said that the comedy rock duo will return after he and partner Jack Black made amends following the fallout over a joke Gass made about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The two were performing onstage in Australia hours after the 2024 attempt on Trump’s life when Gass, 65, made a quip about the shooting of the former president. In the aftermath, Black, 56, publicly condemned his bandmate and announced that the remainder of the Tenacious D tour had been abandoned.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Gass said he and Black, who co-founded Tenacious D in 1994, have made amends — and have even discussed a potential reunion.
“We hashed it out. And it was hard. It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner,” Gass explained.
“Jack and I are all good. At the end of the day, we’re friends. I’ve known Jack since he was 18, and it’s been such a long marriage, really,” he continued. “You go up and down, and we’ve always taken long breaks. He’s had a lot of stuff to do, and I’ve got my other projects. So it doesn’t even feel that different now.”
As far as timing of a Tenacious D reunion, Gass remained cryptic but said, “We will serve no D-wine before it’s D-time — but we will be back. We will return.”
Gass’ onstage quip prompted intense backlash from Trump allies, including the late Charlie Kirk. Black issued a statement of his own at the time, saying he had been “blindsided” by Gass’ joke. The Bernie actor added that he did not “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,” Black continued. “I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
Gass, meanwhile, apologized for the incident on social media, writing: “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 judgement. I profoundly apologise to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”
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However, the apology was subsequently removed from his Instagram page.
After their hiatus, Tenacious D returned in 2025 with a cover of an REO Speedwagon song released for charity.
Still, Gass told Rolling Stone, “We’re gonna come back — it’s gonna be bigger than Oasis!”
