Inside Elle King's Relationship With Her Dad Rob Schneider
It's no wonder Elle King rarely mentions that she's "Saturday Night Live" alum Rob Schneider's daughter. Since 2012, the "The Hot Chick" star has become increasingly vocal about his anti-vax sentiments, including advocating against mandatory vaccinations for children. So, he naturally wasn't too pleased when California assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez sponsored a law that only allowed children with specific medical issues to be exempt from vaccinations. Schneider even voiced his disdain through a phone call where he threatened to use his considerable wealth to ensure she wouldn't retain her position.
While King hasn't publicly shared her thoughts about her father's views, the singer did acknowledge that one of her greatest fears is being written off as a nepo baby. Speaking to People in 2023, King explained that although she didn't fit in as a kid, she stayed true to herself despite other people's criticism and carried that over into adulthood. "I didn't want to be known as someone's kid," the singer-songwriter stated emphatically. "I wanted to be my own person. I never wanted to borrow money from anybody, and I've worked hard for my family and for me. I want to have a life built for myself, and I want to know that I did it."
In her quest for individuality, King dropped her real name, Tanner Elle Schneider, had a stunning transformation, and adopted her stage name. For the most part, the "Ex's & Oh's" hitmaker doesn't mention her dad in interviews about her career, but King isn't ashamed to admit that he served as an inspiration for her.
Rob Schneider is supportive of Elle King's career
In her People interview, Elle King noted that although she earned her surprising net worth on her own accord, she did pick up a few essential showbiz skills from her father, Rob Schneider. The singer-songwriter learned how to perform onstage by watching him captivate everyone's attention in a room during Schneider's live gigs. The "Drunk" hitmaker maintained that while both she and her dad are passionate about her singing career, her talent is entirely her own.
We heard Schneider's singing abilities when King joined him for a duet during his Netflix special, "Asian Momma Mexican Kids." Likewise, Schneider recalled in an Access Hollywood interview how the pandemic hit shortly afterward, and King couldn't play any shows for a while as a result. While she was understandably upset about it, King found a silver lining and texted her dad that she'd be happy if it was her last show ever because she got to share the stage with him.
Speaking to People in 2018, the singer-songwriter gushed, "Honestly, he's probably my biggest supporter." She continued, "Like, every other day I'll get texts in all caps of like, 'Your record's gonna change the world! I can't wait for your fans to hear what you've made! I love you! I'm so proud of you!'" Schneider echoed similar sentiments with Us Weekly. In fact, despite her concerns about being a nepo baby, he couldn't be happier when people first recognize him as her dad.
The father-daughter duo were estranged for a while
Despite his high praise, Rob Schneider also told Us Weekly that he hoped his daughter, Elle King, wouldn't be angry with him for going against her wishes and speaking about her in an interview. The proud father recalled how he realized his daughter had grown to be successful when a valet at a luxury hotel asked for $40, and she paid up without a second thought. On a sadder note, the controversial comedian also mentioned that he regrets not being a stronger presence during her childhood because although Schneider showered her with gifts to make up for lost time, he couldn't get those years back.
Meanwhile, the "America's Sweetheart" singer confirmed to People that she was estranged from her father in 2012 after he formed a new life with his third wife. In another chat with the outlet, King detailed how work often took Schneider away from her and got in the way of them forming a meaningful connection. However, the father-daughter duo has since found common ground. As King asserted, "We both have grown up a lot. And you realize what's important."
She continued, "Him having children — I wanted my sisters to have good memories of me from their childhood when they grew. When it's about the kids, the bulls*** kind of goes away." Schneider's new life may have driven a wedge between them in the past, but it only brought him and King closer later on once she realized she had nothing but love for her step-sisters.