Elle King's Healing Journey: From Drunken Performance to Self-Discovery

Country singer Elle King opens up about her struggles with pain and trauma following her heavily scrutinized performance at Dolly Parton's birthday celebration.

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Country music star Elle King has revealed that she was experiencing a "high level of pain" and was struggling with personal challenges when she took to the stage at Dolly Parton's 78th birthday celebration. The performance, during which King admitted to being "hammered," garnered significant backlash, but King is now sharing her side of the story and her journey towards healing.

Elle King's Healing Journey: From Drunken Performance to Self-Discovery

In an interview on the "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast, King explained that she had been going through a difficult time and had even entered a therapeutic program prior to the incident. "After everything that happened in January, I went to a different type of therapeutic program," King said. "I was very sad, and nobody really knows what I was going through behind closed doors. … I just took that as … if it wasn't this, it's going to be something else."

King's struggles were compounded by the fact that she had not been eating or sleeping properly, leading to a disassociative state during her performance. "I hadn't eaten, I hadn't slept in days and I was really overwhelmed. I was like a shell of myself," she said.

Elle King's Healing Journey: From Drunken Performance to Self-Discovery

In a subsequent interview on the "Dear Chelsea" podcast, King elaborated on the traumatic events she had been dealing with and her struggles with PTSD. "I had been going through something very heavy and traumatic in my life at the time," she confessed. "And that day was a really big day dealing with what I was going through, and that I’m still going through."

King explained that she had consumed too much alcohol between performances, leading to her disorientation and inappropriate behavior on stage. "I take one shot too many, and I'm just not there in my body. I'm not there," King said. "I don't even remember what I said. I know now what I said. I said, 'I'm Elle King, and I'm f---ing hammered.' And I got the curtain dropped on me."

Elle King's Healing Journey: From Drunken Performance to Self-Discovery

Despite the criticism she faced, King received support from Dolly Parton herself. In an interview with Extra, Parton defended King, saying, "Elle is really a great artist. She’s a great girl, and she’s been going through a lot of hard things lately. She just had a little too much to drink. So, let’s just forgive that and forget it and move on, 'cause she felt worse than anyone ever could."

King expressed gratitude for Parton's understanding and took responsibility for her actions, postponing a series of shows after the incident. She has since returned to the stage and is committed to her healing journey. "I waited to talk about everything until I had better footing," she said. "I'm a different person now."

Elle King's Healing Journey: From Drunken Performance to Self-Discovery

King's openness about her struggles serves as a reminder of the importance of self-care and seeking help when needed. It also highlights the power of forgiveness and the support that can be found in the face of adversity.