Rob Schneider Apologizes to Daughter Elle King, Owns up to Shortcoming as a Dad
Schneider asked for King's forgiveness.
Rob Schneider has publicly expressed remorse towards his estranged daughter, singer Elle King, following her recent revelations about their strained relationship. The Deuce Bigalow star addressed the situation during an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, acknowledging his past failures as a parent and seeking reconciliation.
The controversy began when King appeared on Bunnie XO's Dumb Blonde podcast, where she openly discussed her tumultuous relationship with her father. King didn't mince words, accusing Schneider of being an inadequate parent and revealing shocking details about their past interactions.
During the podcast, King alleged that Schneider had sent her to "fat camp" as a child and frequently forgot her birthdays. She also expressed her disapproval of her father's recent controversial statements regarding the LGBTQ+ community and drag performances. "You're talking out of your ass and you're talking shit about drag and, you know, anti-gay rights. And it's like, get f—d," King stated.
The "Ex's & Oh's" singer further elaborated on their distant relationship, mentioning that she didn't establish a connection with Schneider until she was "much, much older." She recounted instances of tension arising from Schneider's disapproval of her appearance and self-expression, particularly her tattoos. "I was like a really, really heavy child. My dad sent me to fat camp… and then I got in trouble one year because I sprained my ankle and didn't lose any weight," King explained. She added, "I had already started getting tattooed and it was like 108 degrees. So I had to wear sweaters because my dad was very anti-tattoos or any form of self-expression."
In response to these public accusations, Schneider took a humble approach. Speaking to Tucker Carlson, he said, "Well I just want to tell my daughter, Elle, I love you and I wish I was the father in my 20s that you needed. Clearly I wasn't. I hope you can forgive me for my shortcomings. I love you completely and I love you entirely."
The Grown Ups actor continued by emphasizing his desire for King's happiness and well-being, extending his love to his grandson, Lucky. "I just want you to be well and happy with you and your beautiful baby, Lucky," Schneider added. "I wish you the best. I feel terrible. I just want you to know I don't take anything you say personally." When questioned about his ability to refrain from retaliating against his daughter's public criticism, Schneider's response was poignant: "If you love someone completely. … I love her, all I want for her is to be happy and to heal from this."
The family drama unfolds against Schneider's recent scandals. The actor has faced backlash for his conservative views, particularly his comments about drag performances and LGBTQ+ rights. In late July, Schneider sparked outrage when he criticized the Olympics' opening ceremony for what he perceived as disrespect towards Christianity.
"I am sorry to say to all the world's greatest athletes, I wish you all the best, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan," Schneider wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He added, "I sincerely hope these Olympics get the same amount of viewers as CSPAN."
King, in her podcast appearance, made it clear that she strongly disagrees with her father's stance on these issues. She stressed that she wanted to distance herself from Schneider, stating that she "doesn't want to be associated" with him because "he's just not nice."