Rory Feek on Daughter’s Lesbian Relationship: ‘My Job is to Love Her’

Rory Feek is opening up about his daughter Hopie, and her relationship with her girlfriend, Wendy. Feek admits that the news that Hopie was dating a woman was initially hard to accept.

“She’s asking me, ‘Are you still gonna love me?’” Feek recalls to CBS Sunday Morning. “And my first reaction, honestly, was, ‘I don’t think so.’”

Not that Hopie was surprised. The 29-year-old knew that asking her father, a conservative Christian, to accept her sexual orientation would not be easy.

“He didn’t know how to accept who I was at that moment,” says Hopie. “And I think that was very understandable.”

But Feek determined to embrace Hopie, even if he didn’t condone her life choices.

“My job is to love her, even when it’s hard, or even when I don’t agree or even if I don’t understand, I still love her,” says Feek. “I can still love her completely.”

Although Feek says he accepts Hopie’s decision to marry, when asked if he hopes Hopie will change, the 53-year-old says he’s not sure.

“That’s a good question,” says Feek. “I’d like to love Hopie and Heidi unconditionally, which means if they don’t ever change, I don’t love them less.”

“He’s come a very long stride!” Hopie adds.

The singer, who is a father to daughters Heidi and Hopie, from his first marriage, is also proud dad to daughter, Indiana, four. Feek has been a single parent ever since his wife, Joey, passed away in 2014 from cancer.

Navigating Hopie’s relationship, Heidi’s decision to be an atheist, and Indiana’s Down Syndrome diagnosis has been a challenge. But after raising Heidi and Hopie by himself, also as a single father, he says he is doing well, all things considered.

“In general, I feel pretty good,” Feek says. “You know, I know who I was before. I know the mess I was. And I’m less mess today!”

Feek has started performing again, without his former Joey + Rory singing partner, but with his daughter Indiana, who often makes an appearance on stage.

“At some point I’ll say, ‘I have a special guest in the audience. Indy, do you wanna come up here with Papa?’” Feek shares. “And she’ll just come marching right up there. And she’ll get all nervous onstage. But it’s just the cutest thing!”

Feek’s latest book, Once Upon a Farm: Lessons on Growing Love, Life, and Hope on a New Frontier will be released on Tuesday, June 19, and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Instagram/roryfeek