Rob Schneider says his door is always open for estranged daughter Elle King

Rob Schneider, the 62-year-old actor and comedian, recently opened up about his fractured relationship with his daughter, country singer Elle King, during an appearance on Andrew Gold's "Heretics" podcast. The discussion revealed a long history of estrangement, with King having previously shared her painful experiences of feeling neglected and mistreated by her father. Schneider acknowledged the past difficulties, expressing regret and a desire for reconciliation, while also framing his current approach through the lens of his Christian faith.

King's grievances, aired in past interviews, paint a picture of a childhood marked by absence and harsh treatment. She recounted that her father would go "four or five years without talking" to her and that he forgot every single birthday. When she did spend summers with him, it was on movie sets where she felt she would "get lost in the shuffle." King stated that if she ever made a mistake on set, she would "get in f---ing trouble." The tension escalated when King's music career began to take off. She said that after she released her record and people started asking about her father, he called her with a warning: "Don’t f---ing talk about me in the press." King has been candid about her emotional turmoil, admitting, "I don't want to be associated with him," and describing how her feelings can cause her to "boil over and I f---ing bust my lid."

In his podcast interview, Schneider addressed these painful accounts with a tone of remorse and a stated commitment to being available. He apologized for the past, though he admitted uncertainty about whether King has accepted his apology. He described his current philosophy as a parent: "you just have to love and be available and be an open door." He emphasized that "the second she needs me, I'll be there," and that reconciliation requires "an openness." Schneider connected this personal struggle to a broader societal issue he perceives, noting an "endemic" in the United States of adult children cutting off contact with their parents after leaving for college.

Schneider attributed his capacity for forgiveness and his open-door policy to his Christian faith. He explained that his belief system provides a foundation that is not dependent on worldly attachments like fame. "When things get taken away, and if that's everything – your fame and your attachment to this stuff – if that gets taken from you, and that's all you have, then you have nothing," he said. He contrasted this with the security of faith, stating, "if you realize there is something higher than all of that and your connection to that, then at that point there's nothing that anybody could do to you." He summarized the core tenet of his faith as "love others, and it's really about forgiveness," principles he is now trying to apply to his relationship with his daughter.