Elle King Says She Is “A Different Person” After Controversial Opry Performance
on Aug 06, 2024
Elle King has opened up about the struggles she faced while performing under the influence at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year.
To catch you up to speed, Elle King took the Opry stage back in January for the Opry Goes Dolly event. What was supposed to be a celebratory tribute to the legendary Dolly Parton on her 78th birthday turned into a messy appearance, which fans described as “disrespectful” and “drunken.”
King was clearly intoxicated during her performance, as her excessive use of profanity and slurred speech made it quite evident. The situation worsened when Elle King began her rendition of “Marry Me” from Dolly’s 2001 album Little Sparrow. She slurred her way through the song, interrupting the performance by shouting, “I don’t give a sh*t!” midway.
Fans were upset with King following her performance, leading her to cancel several shows in the aftermath of the incident at the Opry.
It was an unfortunate situation, to say the very least.
See below to watch a censored video of her Opry performance.
Dolly Parton eventually spoke out about the situation.
During an interview with Extra, she defended King, calling her a “really great artist” and a “great girl.”
“She’s been going through hard things lately. She just had a little too much to drink, so let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, ’cause she felt worse than anyone ever could,” Parton said.
About six weeks after her drunken performance, Elle King herself spoke out on social media.
Now, Elle King is addressing the situation once again.
During a recent appearance on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Off The Vine podcast, she revealed that she was experiencing a “high level of pain” during her Opry performance.
In the candid conversation, King shared more about the emotional turmoil she faced behind the scenes. Despite the glitz and glamour of the Ryman Auditorium, she felt trapped in a cycle of sadness that few could see.
“I was very sad, and nobody really knows what I was what I was going through behind closed doors. And I just took that as, if it wasn’t this, it’s gonna be something else,” King admitted.
This moment sparked a change, leading her to find a new type of therapy to help with her struggles. She said that she has discovered “silver linings” since the incident and feels she is “a different person.”
King’s journey of healing has been anything but easy. She emphasized the importance of confronting her pain head-on, stating:
“Ultimately, like, I couldn’t go on living my life or even staying in the situation that I had been going through. I couldn’t continue to be existing in that high level of pain that I was going through at the time.”
She also reflected on her decision to wait before discussing the incident publicly.
“I waited to talk about everything until I had better footing,” King shared with Bristowe.
We’re glad to hear that Elle King found resolution and support during her challenging times.
In March, Elle King made her first appearance following the incident at the Extra Innings Festival. You can watch part of her performance below.
