Jelly Roll Has Received An Official Pardon From Tennessee Governer For Past Crimes

Country star Jelly Roll has received an official pardon by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for previous convictions for robbery and drug-related crimes in 2003.

Jelly Roll has received a pardon from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee for various crimes the singer had committed back in 2003.

The 41-year-old singer, whose real name is Jason DeFord, would receive the official pardon by the state on Thursday, alongside 32 other individuals.

As reported by the Associated Press, Lee spoke to reporters on Thursday, calling Jelly Roll’s journey since his troubled adolescence a “redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for.”

Jelly Roll has been very transparent about his background and hasn’t been one to shy away from bringing up his mistakes.

In 2023, the ‘I Am Not Okay’ singer would appear on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, detailing his troubled upbringing.

“At 16, I was charged as an adult for a charge,” he said on Rogan’s podcast in 2023. “It was a heinous crime, admittedly. It was horrible. We robbed a couple of guys for some weed, but they called the police because we took some money and some stuff. It was an armed robbery, we went in there with a gun, I regret it every day of my life.”

As a result of being convicted, the singer has found it increasingly difficult to tour, as some countries such as Australia, UK, Canada and the UK have strict entry requirements. While Jelly Roll was able to tour these countries eventually, he would have to enter with special requirements.

For example, to pull off his highly anticipated Australia tour, the singer needed to complete strict character tests and police clearance from the US.

Jelly Roll would tell the Tennessee Board of Paraole in April that a pardon would help alleviate the immense challenges he needed to overcome to tour internationally.

“I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be – to let them know that change is truly possible,” Jelly Roll told the parole board, according to an AP report. “One of the reasons I’m asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I’m looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.”

He added, “I’ll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s.”

The parole board began considering Jelly Roll’s pardon application in October 2024, which marks the state’s five-year timeline for eligibility after his sentence expired.