Rob Schneider hopes to mend rift with daughter Elle King

Rob Schneider attends the “Adam Sandler: Love You” premiere at The Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Apologizing on “The Tucker Carlson Show” Wednesday, Filipino American comedian Rob Schneider publicly acknowledged his past shortcomings as a father to his daughter, singer Elle King.

This comes shortly after King shared her experiences growing up with Schneider on a podcast, where she described his absence in her early years and criticized his parenting methods.

Image: elleking/Instagram

On the show, the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member expressed deep regret, saying, “I want to tell my daughter, Elle, that I love you and wish I had been the father you needed when I was in my 20s. I clearly wasn’t, and I hope you can forgive me for my shortcomings..” 

This apology follows King’s comments about her father, including claims that he forgot her birthdays, sent her to a restrictive “fat camp” during her childhood and punished her for minor infractions.

Schneider has faced criticism in the past for controversial jokes and public statements, including his stance against vaccinations and his boycott of the Paris Olympics due to a drag queen performance he criticized as satanic.

In a post on X, the Deuce Bigalow actor declared his boycott of the Olympics, condemning the “Last Supper” drag performance for what he described as a celebration of Satan.

Despite the contentious past, Schneider’s apology was direct and emotional. He addressed King with sincerity, saying, “I wish you the best. I feel terrible, and I just want you to know that I don’t take anything you say personally. I love you, and I feel that God has gifted this moment and gifted me to be able to tell you, I love you and I accept you and I apologize for any of my shortcomings.”

He emphasized that his heart would always be a home for her, a place where she would always be welcomed. Acknowledging the challenges they were facing, Schneider saw this as an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about families, noting that no family is perfect.

“’I’m sorry that you’re having to deal with this, but this is a great opportunity because we could talk about families — I mean, show me a perfect family out there and I’ll be shocked.”

Schneider further expressed his desire for King to find happiness and healing, acknowledging that he wasn’t the same parent to her that he is to his younger children.

He admitted that she missed out on the care and attention he now provides and took responsibility for the shortcomings in his past parenting.