Country music star Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) was in and out of jail for about a decade, starting at age 14, primarily for drug-related offenses and a serious 2002 aggravated robbery charge when he was 16. He was arrested 40 times before turning his life around after his daughter's birth in 2008, eventually earning a pardon in December 2025.
Jelly Roll's most serious convictions include a robbery at age 17 and drug charges at 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped Jelly Roll and two armed accomplices steal $350 from people in a home in 2002. Because the victims knew the female acquaintance, she and Jelly Roll were arrested right away.
The Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously recommending the governor pardon Jelly Roll whose legal name is Jason DeFord. Jelly Roll has been open about the time he served for convictions ranging from a robbery when he was 17 to drug charges when he was twenty-three.
Born Jason Bradley DeFord in Nashville in 1984, a tumultuous upbringing led Jelly Roll to an early life of crime that landed him in jail before he could even graduate high school. He was first imprisoned at age 14, and welcomed his first child while still behind bars.
His journey through struggles with addiction and mental health resonates deeply with fans who see their own stories reflected in his art. Interestingly enough, the tattoo serves as both a badge of honor for overcoming adversity and a reminder of past pain—a duality that mirrors much of what he expresses in song.
Jelly Roll on Prison Fights and an Arrest Story He’s Never Told Before
Why did Jelly Roll get full custody of his daughter?
Bailee—who the Grammy nominee shares with ex Felicia Beckwith—was born when her father was behind bars. Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie Xo have had custody of her since 2017 due to her mother's struggles with addiction, and the "Lonely Road" hitmaker said that she's "totally ahead" of where he was when he was her age.
Jelly Roll has been married once, to his wife Alisa "Bunnie XO" DeFord, whom he wed in a spontaneous Las Vegas courthouse ceremony in August 2016, and they renewed their vows in 2023.
Bunnie said she started getting “really weird headaches” in March, which led her to see a neurologist and get an Mri. “When I got these test results back, they said that they spotted an aneurysm on my carotid artery,” she wrote. The doctors then ordered a Ct scan with contrast.
🦷 Did you know that country-rap artist Jelly Roll recently completed a full mouth reconstruction? After having the same veneers for nearly 20 years, he worked with his dental team to update his smile with new veneers, implants, cavity repair, and wisdom teeth removal.
In 2016, Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie XO, were granted primary custody of Bailee. That year, their family grew with the addition of Jelly Roll's son, Noah Buddy, from a previous relationship. Here's everything to know about Jelly Roll's kids: Bailee Ann and Noah Buddy.
He has stated that he was arrested about 40 times in total during his youth. His main convictions include: Felony Robbery He was convicted in 2003 (for a crime committed when he was 17 in 2002) for an unarmed robbery where he and accomplices stole $350 from a home. He was sentenced to one year in prison plus probation.
Jelly Roll lost a significant amount of weight (around 275 pounds) through major lifestyle changes, focusing on consistent walking, a high-protein diet, boxing, basketball, and therapy, supported by nutritionists and trainers, replacing old tour habits of drugs/alcohol with healthy activities like drinking water and cold plunging. He battled food addiction and shifted his tour culture to support fitness, achieving results without weight-loss drugs but with significant professional help and commitment to daily habits,.
The couple married in 2016, and while they do not have biological children together, they are raising Jelly Roll's son Noah Buddy and daughter Bailee Ann from previous relationships.
Sources close to the DeFord family revealed tonight that the genre-defying artist has been diagnosed with a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative condition, bearing chilling similarities to advanced motor neuron disease, relentlessly draining his strength and fire.
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 4, 1984, and grew up in the city's Antioch neighborhood. His father, Horace “Buddy” DeFord, ran a wholesale meat business and had a side hustle as a bookie.
Bill Lee shows Gov. Bill Lee giving country musician Jelly Roll news of his official pardon, on Dec. 18, 2025, at the Tennessee Governor's Mansion in Oak Hill, Tenn. According to the Associated Press, Lee spoke to reporters on Thursday and called Jelly Roll's story "remarkable."
After 8 years, #HalleBerry and her ex-husband #OlivierMartinez have finalized their divorce. Halle will have custody of their son Maceo and will pay her husband $8K a month in child support. Additionally, she will also pay him 4.3% of all income she receives over $2 million.
