Dolly Parton breaks her silence on Elle King’s drunken Grand Ole Opry birthday tribute: Let’s ‘forget it’

nypost.com:

Dolly Parton will always love you, Elle King. The 78-year-old country icon finally addressed the “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer’s drunken birthday tribute at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. “Elle is really a great artist,” Parton told “Extra” of King, 34, who told the audience last month that she was “f—king hammered” while performing Parton’s “Marry Me.”“She’s a great girl, and she’s been going through of hard things lately,” Parton continued. “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.”The Post has contacted reps for King for comment.

King’s drunken performance quickly went viral on TikTok. Fan-captured clips caught her slurring her words during the Parton cover, as well as making up her own lyrics to the classic song.“I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this f–king town,” King sang. “Don’t tell Dolly ’cause it’s her birthday.“Everyone’s like, ‘Holy s–t, we bought tickets to this s–t.’ I’m not even going to lie,” she said while putting her hands in her pockets. “Holy s–t.

I’m not even going to f–king lie. Y’all bought tickets for this s–t?”The “America’s Sweetheart” singer then told the unimpressed crowd that they “ain’t gettin’ your money back.”“I’ll tell you one thing more.

Hi, my name is Elle King and I’m f–king hammered,” she added.The singer has yet to address the incident, but she mysteriously postponed her upcoming concerts for later this year.