Elle King is speaking out after getting a lot of backlash for her Dolly Parton tribute. The singer appeared intoxicated and forgot lyrics to Parton’s songs during the concert. To make matters worse, it took place at the Grand Ole Opry.
Speaking on the Dear Chelsea podcast (via People), King said she felt mortified by her actions on stage. She’s experienced a lot of regret since then.
“So I did a big no, no. I not only cussed onstage, hammered at the Grand Ole Opry, but it was Dolly Parton’s birthday and the Opry was doing a Dolly Parton tribute,” King began. “I haven’t spoken about it because, one, I had to just chill. It was a big deal.”
King revealed that she had been going through something in her life that had been really traumatic. It led to her to have a breakdown of sorts, not eating or sleeping for several days.
“I had been going through something very heavy and traumatic in my life at the time, and that day was a really big day dealing with what I was going through — and then I’m still going through — and I suffer from like, severe PTSD,” King said. The performer said she wasn’t even supposed to perform that night. Another singer backed out, and she had to hit the stage three hours later.
Elle King Apologizes
“I take one shot too many and I’m just not there in my body. I’m not there. I don’t remember it,” she said. “I said, ‘I’m Elle King. And I’m f—ing hammered.’ I got the curtain dropped on me. I just get like flashes of this. I was totally, 100% disassociated. The singer remembers being in the “dressing room, me on the floor just sobbing, ‘What have I done?’ And then the next day it was like everywhere. Everywhere.”
In response to the incident, King wrote an apology to both Parton and the Grand Ole Opry. She felt terrible about her actions.
“I was mortified,” King said. King decided to apologize. “I hand-wrote an apology letter to the Opry. I hand-wrote an apology letter to Dolly.”
However, Dolly more than forgave her.
“She just gave me really kind words and told me, ‘Well, Dolly’s not mad at you, why should the world be?’ [She] made me laugh. That’s the kindness from women,” King added. “That’s the stuff that I’ve received that I’ll never forget, ever, because I wanted to f—ing die.”
King also had an apology for fans as well. She realized what she did was wrong, and she’s also sorry for it. “This is like a sacred stage and I f—ed up,” she confessed. “For all the people who are asking for an apology from me, hey, if you were there that night and I didn’t get a chance to say I’m sorry to you, I apologize.”