Country music sensation Elle King has ignited a social media storm following her performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during a tribute show for Dolly Parton’s 78th birthday. The daughter of Rob Schneider, King took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, delivering an unforgettable rendition that left fans and attendees buzzing.

While the iconic Dolly Parton was not present, King’s performance took centre stage for all the wrong reasons. In a viral clip, the 34-year-old singer was observed slurring her words and dropping a few unexpected F-bombs during her set. The chaos reached its peak when she openly admitted to being ‘hammered’ before launching into a somewhat dishevelled cover of Parton’s song ‘Marry Me.’

Addressing the audience, King candidly remarked, “I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this fing town, don’t tell Dolly ‘cause it’s her birthday.” She further added, “I’m not even gonna fing lie… y’all bought tickets for this s***, you ain’t getting your money back.”

Numerous videos capturing the performance circulated online, with one TikTok user sharing a clip that revealed the audience laughing at the chaotic set. However, the reaction from Parton’s fans has been far from amused.

Online comments expressed disappointment in King’s behaviour, with one TikTok user noting, “The poor girl next to her, trying to pretend it’s all good,” while another remarked, “Never heard of her until this video and I’ve already seen enough.”

On Twitter, a user shared, “Elle King ruined the night with her horrible, drunk, and profane performance. Dolly Parton would’ve been mortified. For our first time at the Opry, it was a shame we all had to witness that… It was such a disappointment to spend $300 on tickets for a show where one of the artists ruined an entire night.”

In response to the backlash, the venue issued an apology, stating, “We deeply regret and apologise for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance.” However, King has yet to publicly address the incident.

Stella Parton, Dolly’s sister, weighed in on the controversy, asserting that King insulted Parton fans. In a statement on Twitter, she mentioned, “I didn’t see nor hear the Grand Ole Opry birthday tribute to my big sister Dolly over the weekend. But some lil girl by the name of Elle King apparently cussed and insulted some of Dolly’s fans by not knowing a song. She did admit to being ‘hammered’—her word not mine.”