Photo: NickRewind · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in United States · Nationality American — Cinema / music / celebrity

Jack Black

Film, television and entertainment Music

Documented profile covering 4 controversies, including “2001: 'Shallow Hal' criticised for weight-related jokes and use of 'fat suit'” and “2008: Participation in 'Tropic Thunder' amid controversy over disability slurs”.

Are you concerned? Right of reply

Profile No. 1486 · Updated on 12 October 2026

4Documented controversies

6Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

2024-2026

2024–2026: Tenacious D suspends tour after Kyle Gass joke about attempt on Donald Trump's life

No legal proceedings

At a Sydney concert in July 2024, Kyle Gass replies 'Don't miss Trump next time' to a birthday joke the day after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The episode provokes political condemnation in Australia and Jack Black cancels the remainder of the tour and suspends Tenacious D projects.

State of the evidence: Documented

Sources · 2

[1]
ReutersJack Black's Tenacious D band cancels Australia tour after comments on Trump shootingMediaVery high reliability
[2]
The GuardianTenacious D will return: Jack Black and Kyle Gass ‘hashed it out’ after Trump joke controversyMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

Add to this entry

2008

2008: Participation in 'Tropic Thunder' amid controversy over disability slurs

No legal proceedings

'Tropic Thunder', in which Jack Black is a principal actor, faces protests from disability rights organisations over repeated use of a derogatory term for people with intellectual disabilities.

State of the evidence: Documented

Sources · 2

[1]
CBS NewsJack Black 'Risks' Life For LaughsMediaHigh reliability
[2]
The Washington PostRobert Downey Jr. reflects on his blackface role in 'Tropic Thunder'MediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

Add to this entry

2008

2008: 'Tropic Thunder' also contested over Robert Downey Jr's blackface character

No legal proceedings

The same film prompts a separate controversy surrounding Robert Downey Jr's character, a fictional white actor who darkens his skin to portray a Black character. Jack Black, a member of the leading trio, becomes associated with a widely debated satire about the limits of racial representation.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Indirectly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
The Washington PostRobert Downey Jr. reflects on his blackface role in 'Tropic Thunder'MediaHigh reliability
[2]
CBS NewsJack Black 'Risks' Life For LaughsMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

Add to this entry

2001

2001: 'Shallow Hal' criticised for weight-related jokes and use of 'fat suit'

No legal proceedings

The comedy 'Shallow Hal', in which Jack Black plays a superficial man hypnotised into seeing 'inner beauty', is criticised for repeated jokes about weight and using a larger body as a comic device despite its supposedly tolerant final message.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
Los Angeles TimesBlack Is Back in 'Shallow Hal'MediaHigh reliability
[2]
Los Angeles Times'Shallow Hal' Fat Suit Not Just Skin-DeepMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 12 September 2026

Add to this entry

II. Constellation of documented links

Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
Line width: number of documented references
Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (2)

Donald Trump1 documented reference
- 2024–2026: Tenacious D suspends tour after Kyle Gass joke about attempt on Donald Trump's life Source ↗
Robert Downey Jr.1 documented reference
- 2008: 'Tropic Thunder' also contested over Robert Downey Jr's blackface character Source ↗

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.