The Grand Ole Opry recently issued an apology following King's performance paying homage to Parton, where she mentioned she was "intoxicated" on stage.
Dolly Parton holds no ill will towards Elle King.
In the wake of King's declaration of being "inebriated" and confessing to forgetting the lyrics to Parton's "Marry Me" during a Grand Ole Opry event commemorating the country luminary's 78th birthday at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last month, the "Jolene" crooner has come forward to support her.
"Elle truly is an exceptional artist," expressed Parton regarding the "Ex's and Oh's" vocalist, aged 34, in an interview with Extra. "She’s a remarkable individual, and she’s been grappling with challenging circumstances recently."
The Grammy-winning sensation continued, "She simply indulged a bit too much, so let’s extend our understanding and move past it, because she felt more remorseful than anyone else ever could."
Throughout the performance on Jan. 19 — which additionally showcased acts from Ashley Monroe, Tigirlily Gold, Dailey & Vincent, and Terri Clark — King, aged 34, engaged in discussions with audience members regarding refunds, as seen in various videos circulated on TikTok.
The interaction ensued after King seemingly sang incoherently — and ad-libbed lines about her unfamiliarity with the lyrics to "Marry Me" — while admittedly under the influence.
"I am not acquainted with the lyrics to these tunes in this town," King sang. "Please refrain from informing Dolly because it marks her birthday."
Post-song, she remarked: "Everyone's reaction is, wow, we invested in tickets for this event. I won't deceive you," she uttered while tucking her hands in her pockets. "Wow. I won't deceive you. You all invested in tickets for this event?"
Following her assertion that there would be no refunds, a member of the audience retorted with "I am not interested."
"Fine, because you won't receive any," King retorted.
According to a TikTok user present at the performance, King used profanity on stage "approximately 15 times" before the interaction with the audience and "failed to recall the lyrics to the Dolly song she was slated to perform." The venue subsequently "closed the curtain on her," as per the TikToker.
"I'll disclose one additional detail. Salutations, my designation is Elle King, and I am inebriated," King declared.
A representative for King has yet to address the incident.
A day later, the Grand Ole Opry addressed fan grievances on X (formerly twitter), following an attendee's comment that King "spoiled the evening with her dreadful, intoxicated, and profane performance," deeming it "regrettable that we all had to endure that."
"Greetings Judas, we express sincere regret and offer apologies for the language employed during last night’s secondary Opry performance," replied the Opry.
In the days following the incident, King rescheduled numerous upcoming concerts for later this year.
King previously conversed with the San Diego Tribune in 2022 about performing under the influence, expressing her desire to refrain from getting as intoxicated as she used to on stage.
"It's simpler for me to assert: 'Yes, I desire to consume alcohol and revel and [then] take the stage,'" she articulated. "I experience apprehension prior to my stage appearances, [so] I partake in a few beverages [beforehand]. Alcohol lessens my pre-performance jitters. If I fail to deliver, the impact is less severe."
King further emphasized that she prioritizes "being a mother significantly above indulging in leisure." The songstress shares a 2-year-old son, Lucky Levi, with Daniel Tooker.
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