Jelly Roll’s mammoth 300 pound weight loss is allowing him to be more involved in the lives of his children.
The country singer, 41, – real name Jason Bradley DeFord – once tipped the scales at 540 but dropped hundreds of pounds in recent years after committing himself to his health.
Now down to 265 pounds, Jelly has found that his slimmed down frame has allowed him to participate more fully in the lives of his two kids, daughter Bailee Ann, 17, and son Noah, nine.
Speaking with Extra, Jelly was particularly proud to share that he is now coaching his son’s basketball team – a feat he never imagined doing when he was heavier.
‘Everyway. Spiritually. I’ve gotten closer to God, I’ve gotten closer to myself, I’m a better father,’ he told the outlet at the premiere of Netflix’s Star Search. ‘I’m more present with my children. You should see it, dude. I mean, I’m coaching my son’s basketball team this year.’
‘They’re kids, so I’m not coaching like a competitive team or anything here, but… I just feel physically better, and I feel like I can physically do, when you’re 550 pounds, you wonder if they have a seat big enough for you somewhere, you know what I mean?,’ he said.
Jelly Roll is revealing how his mammoth 300 pound weight loss has allowed him to be more involved in the lives of his children
Jelly, pictured 2024, has daughter Bailee Ann, 17, and son Noah, nine
‘You definitely don’t think about trying to coach a team. You wonder if there’s a bench you can sit on, you know?
‘So, it’s like for God to just even make that big of a difference, to have the weight off, literally the weight, 300 pounds, I’m a whole different human.’
Jelly, who has been married to Bunnie Xo since 2016, shares Bailee with ex Felicia Beckwith and Noah with ex Melisa Ann Cowell.
The inspiring weight loss has impacted essentially all areas of Jelly’s life, even earning him the Winter 2026 cover of Men’s Health magazine.
In an interview with the magazine, Jelly said prior to his transformation, he was a ‘prisoner’ to his own body, with his entire life revolving around the size of his body.
‘It was never-ending sadness,’ he said. ‘And anger. I was a prisoner to my own body. Dude, wiping my a** was a problem.
‘Washing myself properly was a problem. Getting in cars. Every decision I made in life had to be based on my weight. If it could hold me, facilitate me, or fit me — people don’t think about every facet of “I still want to be able to do that and I can’t.” I was so inspired by that kind of stuff.’
Jelly really started getting serious about his weight loss back in 2021, a goal he achieved by from the inside out.
The country star once tipped the scales at 540
The country star, pictured with wife Bunnie Xo, is now down to 265 pounds
Jelly, pictured 2021, weighed 540 pounds at his heaviest
His transformation recently was on full display on the cover of Men’s Health
The country star enlisted Ways2Well, a chef and sports nutritionist, and even a therapist – who helped him tackle his food addiction – after tipping the scales at an estimated 540, according to Men’s Health.
The scale wasn’t designed to measure weight above 520, meaning the 540 pounds is just an estimate.
‘The needle went past 520, but it didn’t blow it down,’ he explained to Men’s Health. ‘And I would play with it—I would teeter the foot up, like, how low could I get it? I was mad optimistic. So it could have been 560, it could have been 528.’
Now Jelly is reveling in his improved health and slimmed down body.
His Men’s Health cover marks the realization of a dream he had long wanted to fulfill – not only had Jelly been vocal about wanting to appear on the cover, but he was inspired by the stories featured in the magazine while serving time in jail years prior (he faced troubles with the law for a robbery and drug-related offenses).
During a fitting, Jelly was reminded of just how much bigger he was at the Country Music Awards in 2024.
‘Your waist was a 65. And you’re close to a 42 now,’ his stylist told him.
‘That’s crazy,’ Jelly said. ‘That’s a whole human.’
