Rob Schneider Says He'll Always 'Be There' for Estranged Daughter Elle King: 'My Door's Always Open'

Rob Schneider is leaving the door open for a reconciliation with his estranged daughter, Elle King.

The 50 First Dates star recently opened up about their complicated relationship during an episode of the “Heretics” podcast. Schneider acknowledged that there were times when he fell short as a father.

Looking back, Schneider said he understands that he wasn't always the parent his “very talented” daughter needed.

“I wasn't prepared emotionally for the outpouring of what I received after that,” Schneider said. “There's an endemic – and I don't know if in other cultures, but in the United States – an endemic of kids who went off to college and came back and said, 'My daughter doesn't want to have a relationship with me anymore,' or, 'I can't see my grandkids.’ It's an attack on the culture in a way that the culture is vulnerable.”

However, he's open to making amends if the time ever comes.

"The door's open, and I would say, you know, I love you and ... I'm there when you want," he said. "We had an exchange, and I'll leave it at that. The thing about, as a parent, you just have to love and be available and be an open door. My door's always open."

He added, "The second she needs me, I'll be there. That's all you can do, and the idea that I'm going to somehow ... that I need something, that I can force my way or force ... no. It has to be something that ... an openness."

Schneider's comments come after King has been open about their strained relationship and how much time can pass between their conversations.

As OK! previously reported, King said in 2024 that she can go “four or five years” without speaking to her father.

During an appearance on Bunnie XO's “Dumb Blonde” podcast, the singer also made it clear that she doesn't share many of Schneider's public views.

“I disagree with a lot of the things that he says,” she said.

“You’re talking out of your a-- and you’re talking s--- about drag and, you know, anti-gay rights and it’s like get f-----,” the blonde beauty said of Schneider. “He’s just talking out of his a-- and I want to use this opportunity to say that I disagree. I do not agree with what he says.”

The “Drunk” hitmaker has also pushed back on the idea that her father’s Hollywood career played a role in launching her own music career.

“I never wanted his help,” she noted. “He also didn’t have a very good reputation. I don’t want to be associated with him.”

Even with their differences, King said she spent years trying to find a way to connect with her dad. She recalled trying different approaches, including writing “letters” and “yelling,” as she attempted to make herself understood.

“You can want someone to change so much. You can’t control anyone else’s actions, you can’t control people’s feelings,” the “Jersey Giant” vocalist detailed. “All you can control is how you react and what you do with your feelings.”

King has also previously opened up about some painful memories from growing up with Schneider, who welcomed her with his former wife, London King, in 1989.

The singer recalled being sent away to lose weight when she was a child.

“I was, like, a really, really heavy child. My dad sent me to fat camp,” Elle revealed. “And then I got in trouble one year because I sprained my ankle and I didn’t lose any weight. Very toxic and very silly.”

She also said that many of her childhood memories were tied to her father's demanding Hollywood schedule.

Rather than having traditional family vacations, Elle recounted spending time with Rob while he was working.

“If I would ever spend a summer with my dad it would be on a movie set. I would just get lost in the shuffle,” Elle reflected. “If I ever messed up a shot, if I ever was talking, I would get in f------ trouble.”