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Elle King has said she was “not trying to hurt” her father Rob Schneider with recent comments she made about their relationship.
The singer, whose real name is Tanner Elle Schneider, spoke on an episode of the Dumb Blonde podcast hosted by Bunnie XO about how the SNL alum had sent her to “fat camp” while she was growing up and disagreed with her about LGBT+ rights.
King revealed that she went “four or five years” without talking to her father largely because of his right-wing political views.
“I disagree with a lot of the things that he says,” she told the host during the August 12 episode. “You’re talking out of your a** and you’re talking s*** about drag and, you know, anti-gay rights and it’s like get f***ing... He’s just talking out of his a** and I want to use this opportunity to say that I disagree. I do not agree with what he says.”
This led to Schneider issuing his daughter a lengthy apology while speaking to conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson on his podcast.
“I just want to tell my daughter: I love you, and I wish I was the father in my 20s that you needed. I clearly wasn’t, and I hope you can forgive me for my shortcomings,” he said.
“I wish you the best. I feel terrible, and I just want you to know that I don’t take anything you say personally. I love you, and I feel that God has gifted this moment and gifted me to be able to tell you, I love you and I accept you and I apologize for any of my shortcomings.”
“All I want for her is to be happy and to heal from this,” he continued. “I apologize completely for and accept responsibility for not being the parent that I am now with my new kids. She didn’t get that, and I missed a lot.
King’s comments on the podcast had gone viral, which she said she had not expected in a new interview with People. “I was just speaking about my childhood and about my truth,” she told the outlet. “I was not trying to hurt him.”
She also responded to criticism she faced for the comments.
“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. 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,” she said.
“But ultimately, I think an apology on Tucker Carlson is like a double negative, right? Means nothing.”
The “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer added that she’s most proud of her comments regarding the LGBT+ community. “What I will say is the best thing that came from that is that my incredible LGBTQ+ community knows that they have an ally in me,” King said.
“And if that’s the biggest thing to come out of that platform, then I would’ve done it 10 more f***ing times because I am an ally, they have one in me, and I’m grateful.”
