Elle King isn’t sparing details with regard to the “toxic” relationship she says she’s had with her famous father, Rob Schneider, over the years.
A teaser clip of King’s appearance on the “Dumb Blonde” podcast Monday shows the country singer recalling how Schneider kept his distance from her as a child and was heavily critical of her appearance.
“I go for like four or five years without talking to my dad,” King said. “If I would ever spend a summer with my dad, it would be on a movie set. I would just get lost in the shuffle.”
Describing herself as “a really, really, heavy child,” she claimed that Schneider sent her to a “fat camp,” and later urged her to cover up because he didn’t approve of her tattoos. She also said that her dad “forgot about every single birthday,” including when she turned 18.
“Very toxic and very silly,” she added.
A three-time Emmy nominee, Schneider rose to prominence as both a cast member and writer on “Saturday Night Live” from 1988 to 1994. He then parlayed his “SNL” success into feature films like “Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo” and “The Hot Chick.”
In recent years, however, Schneider has repeatedly made headlines for his political views. Though the actor and comedian has described himself as a “classic liberal,” he has railed against vaccine mandates and backed other causes typically aligned with conservative voters.
An outspoken supporter of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Schneider was reportedly booed off stage at a Canadian charity event in June for making “transphobic, misogynistic and anti-vax jokes.” Last month, he blasted the 2024 Paris Olympics for including what he and others perceived as a drag parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” in its opening ceremony.
“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,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The event’s artistic director later clarified that the segment was meant as a tribute to Dionysus, the Greek god of decadence and celebration, rather than “The Last Supper.”
In her “Dumb Blonde” interview, King distanced herself from her dad’s political views, noting: “I want to use this opportunity to say: ‘I disagree. I do not agree with what he says.’”
In an email to HuffPost, a representative for Schneider declined comment.
King catapulted onto the Nashville music scene with her 2015 debut album, “Love Stuff,” which bore the smash single, “Ex’s & Oh’s.” Since then, she’s released two more albums, racked up four Grammy nominations, and performed as an opening act for Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton, among others.
Watch Elle King talk about Rob Schneider on the “Dumb Blonde” podcast below.