Dolly Parton has already forgiven Elle King for the “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer’s fumbled tribute at the Grand Ole Opry. And that’s enough for King, who finally broke her silence a month and a half after the January incident.
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Elle King Sends Love to Supporters and Haters Alike
King is currently across the pond for Country to Country, Europe’s biggest country musical festival. The “America’s Sweetheart” singer posted a video Sunday (March 10) of herself gearing up for her final performance in London.
“To everyone sending me love because I’m human and already talked to Dolly, I love you,” King wrote in the post.
The 34-year-old didn’t only reserve that love for her supporters, however. “To everyone who told me to [k*ll] myself, I love you too,” she wrote.
King captioned the video, “Oh no was my human showing.” She followed those words with the caption #WWD — “What would Dolly do?”
The Queen of Country has made that answer quite clear. “She just had a little too much to drink,” Parton told Extra TV in a February interview. “So let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on.”
What, Exactly, Did Elle King Do?
King first drew fans’ ire when she admitted to being “f***ing hammered” for her performance of Parton’s “Marry Me” during a concert honoring the singer’s 78th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry.
The four-time GRAMMY nominee then proceeded to trip over the words to Parton’s 2001 hit, complaining mid-performance, “Everybody’s looking at me like I know this s***.”
[RELATED: Elle King Takes the Stage for First Time Since Controversial Grand Ole Opry Performance]
Stella Parton was far less forgiving than her older sister, and even the Opry itself issued a public apology on X/Twitter for King’s performance.
“Carry On, Elle King:” Fans Show Support
Judging from the comments section on King’s Instagram, many fans still harbor ill will. “Your music is great, but I, for one, will no longer listen,” one user wrote on a March 3 post. “Dolly was gracious enough to let you off the hook, so the least you could do is apologize to her publicly for the disrespect.”
Other comments were gentler, but still expressed concern for the artist’s well-being. “Please stop drinking, you’re on a slippery slope to destroy everything you’ve worked for,” another Instagram user commented on a March 8 post.
King’s post directly addressing the incident received a much warmer reception. One fan reflected on her “wild, drinking, druggin’” lifestyle in the ’80s. She then voiced relief that “no cell phones and social media” existed at the time to broadcast her “all effed up.”
“All I can say is every day is a chance for self improvement,” the Instagram user wrote. “Carry on Elle King…and may each day in your bright future soften that regret.”
Featured image by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Stagecoach
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