Elle King Gives Full Story Behind Drunken Dolly Parton Tribute

Leah Degrazia
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Originally appeared on E! Online

Elle King is laying it all out on the table.

The "Ex's & Oh's" singer detailed what happened before and after her controversial performance at the Grand Old Opry's Dolly Parton 78th birthday tribute show in January.

"I had been going through something very heavy and traumatic in my life at the time," Elle explained during the May 16 episode of Chelsea Handler's iHeartRadio podcast Dear Chelsea. "That day was a really big day dealing with what I was going through and am still going through, and I suffer from severe PTSD."

Because of the stress she was under, the 34-year-old said she "hadn't eaten" and "hadn't slept in days" ahead of the tribute, explaining, "I was really overwhelmed."

"I was like a shell of myself," Elle continued. "There was a big snowstorm that day, and this other singer who's supposed to be the headliner backed out like three hours before, and they asked me if I would sing—if I would be the headliner and sing 'Jolene.' I was like, 'Great, I know that song.'"

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Elle, who was scheduled to step on stage twice that evening, was able to perform just fine the first time around but admitted that she "took one shot too many" before her second appearance, where she appeared to forget the words to Dolly's 2001 hit "Marry Me" and told the audience "You ain't getting your money back."

"I'm just not there in my body, I'm not there," she recalled. "I don't even remember what I said."

It wasn't until the show was over that Elle fully realized that she was "f---king hammered."

"I got the curtain dropped on me," the singer explained, "and I was totally disassociated, and I just cut to the dressing room—me on the floor just sobbing, like, 'What have I done?'"

Elle King
Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images forAudacy's Leading Ladies 2024

This isn't the only time Elle has spoken out about the incident, which led to her taking a two-month break from touring. Back in March, the "America's Sweetheart" singer shared a message to those who supported her through the backlash—as well as those who didn't.

"To everyone sending me love," Elle wrote in an Instagram post shared March 10, "because I'm human and already talked to Dolly. I love you. To everyone who told me to k*ll myself, I love you too."

As for Dolly? She's made clear that she'll always love Elle.

"Elle King is a doll," the "9 to 5" singer previously told E! News. "I called her, and I said, ‘You know, there are many F-words. Why don't we use the right one? Forgiveness, friends, forget it.'"

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