Dolly Parton tells fans to 'forgive' Elle King after Grand Ole Opry performance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Music icon Dolly Parton is speaking out after Elle King came under fire for her drunken performance at the Grand Ole Opry during a Parton tribute concert.

King was captured on video singing Parton's "Marry Me" while appearing drunk and at one point telling the crowd "I'm (expletive) hammered."

While others called it a "yikes" moment and said King was "disrespecting Dolly," Parton told Extra "Elle is a really great artist."

"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," Parton added.

The Grand Ole Opry celebrated Parton's 78th birthday on Jan. 19 with an event honoring the country star.

On the night that King performed, Terri Clark, Tigirlily Gold, Ashley Monroe and Dailey and Vincent joined.

The venue apologized on X, formerly Twitter, for the performance after a user complained about the incident.

"We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance," the Opry's post said.

Parton was inducted into theRock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022 and released her first rock album in November 2023.

The 30-track album, "Rockstar," is a mix of originals, remakes, as well as collaborations with a slew of legendary musicians.