Elle King Responds to Rob Schneider’s Public Apology for Being an Absent Father: A Double Negative
Elle King is no stranger to family complexities, particularly her relationship with her father, comedian Rob Schneider. The Grammy-nominated singer recently talked about her strained relationship with her father on Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast. Her candid conversation went viral, sparking public debate, including a response from Schneider.
While speaking on the Dumb Blonde podcast, King detailed some of her childhood challenges. She revealed that Schneider sent her to a fat camp when she was a child, a memory that still haunts her today.
She also revealed that Schneider was frequently absent during her childhood, even forgetting her birthdays. Listeners appreciated King’s honesty, especially when she spoke about her disagreement with her father’s views on LGBTQ+ rights.
Reflecting on the podcast’s huge popularity, King told PEOPLE, “I never in a million years thought that that was going to go viral. I was just speaking about my childhood and about my truth.” She stated that her intention was not to hurt her father but rather to share her personal experience.
“But ultimately, I think an apology on Tucker Carlson is like a double negative, right? Means nothing,” King said in an interview with PEOPLE. Despite the apology, King believed it lacked sincerity and true impact, given the platform on which it was delivered.
Elle King stood firm in her decision to speak about her childhood. “A lot of people said, ‘How could she say that about her family?’ and ‘Everything needs to be behind closed doors.’ No, it doesn’t,” King stated. She said that sometimes you have to just say things and get them off your chest so that you don’t have to carry it for the rest of your life.
King talked about the positive outcome of her comments, particularly her support for the LGBTQ+ community. She stated that the best thing that came out of that is that her incredible LGBTQ+ community knows they have an ally in her, and if that is the most important thing to come out of that platform, she would have done it ten times more because she is an ally, they have one in her, and she is grateful.
Amidst the public attention, Elle King remains focused on her music. She will release her next single, High Road, on Friday, September 20. The song’s message ties in with King’s recent personal journey of growth and forgiveness.
King said that since last year, if something went wrong or irritated her, her manager would say, High Road 2024, which was their theme of take the High Road. Be the person you want to be in any situation.
High Road is a country ballad that reflects King’s decision to rise above challenges and focus on becoming the best version of herself.
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