Everything We Know About Jelly Roll's Weight Loss Journey
This article includes mentions of substance addiction, depression, and suicide.
For Jelly Roll, taking charge of his health after a long period of battling addiction and severe depression is one of his biggest achievements, especially since he'd spent most of his life being overweight. "As far back as pre-kindergarten I remember being the big kid," the singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, recalled in a 2019 Facebook post. Growing up, he continued to struggle with obesity, to the point where he felt hopeless and considered committing suicide. "I spend months on end depressed ... I just sit around disgusted with myself," he confessed. He hated not being able to do normal things like climb up the stairs or sit comfortably on a chair. In fact, even sex was a struggle. "When [you're] this big you can't really enjoy life," DeFord confessed.
The turning point came in 2015, when the "Wild Ones" hitmaker exceeded the maximum weight of 500 pounds on his doctor's weighing scale and was humiliated. After going on a bender, he finally decided to commit to a healthier lifestyle to save his life in 2016. He ended up losing nearly around 200 pounds early on, but unfortunately regained some of the weight back due to the stress of life on the road. However, he wasn't about to just give up on his dream.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
Roll has lost 70 pounds since 2018
Determined to continue on his path to weight loss, Jelly Roll enlisted the help of fitness instructors Brix Clover and James Hurlburt of the CrossFit Cool Springs Gym in Franklin, Tennessee. "Just know that I'm doing my part," the tatted country star wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Despite his busy schedule, he made sure to show up every day and stay on top of his diet, while also practicing meditation. He said he wanted to look his best in preparation for his album "Whitsitt Chapel" and upcoming tour. At some point in 2023, he also took a social media break to take his mind off the negative comments about his weight, which Jelly Roll's wife, Bunnie XO, claimed was affecting his mental health. "He was so tired of being bullied about his f—- weight," the model revealed in an episode of her "Dumb Blonde" podcast that April.
Since then, the singer has managed to shed a little over 70 pounds and has never looked better. From struggling to stand or walk short distances, he now jogs 2 to 3 miles a day for several times a week. "I feel really good," Jelly Roll said of his transformation to People in April 2024. He's already on his next goal, which is to keep his weight down long-term. "If I feel this good down this weight, man, I can only imagine what I'm going to feel like by the time I go on tour." He also ticked off a major item from his bucket list.
Jelly Roll ran his first 5K
In May 2024, Jelly Roll celebrated a huge milestone in his weight loss journey by running his first 5K marathon since making a lifestyle change in 2016. The "Need A Favor" artist first revealed his plans to join the 2 Bears 5K race in Los Angeles — hosted by comedians Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura (pictured above) — on Instagram in January 2024. "I'm ready to go," Jelly Roll captioned the Instagram reel. "I believe in myself. ... 5K by May baby! I'm in [sic]!" Leading up to the race, he spoke to People about his training program and how he planned to complete the 3.1-mile course with zero experience in running.
"I don't know if 'running' is going to be the word... [but] probably a brisk power walk. My goal is to be able to do a 15-minute mile," he informed the magazine. When he did cross the finish line, Jelly Roll was equally excited and emotional, explaining to ET's Denny Directo that finishing the race was a huge victory for him. "Whenever I started doing this, I couldn't walk a mile [sic]. So the fact that we got 3.1 [miles]... I feel really, really good."
With 5K now ticked off from his list, Jelly Roll is ready to move onto a bigger challenge: joining his first half-marathon in the fall of 2025. At the same time, he's getting ready to embark on a new chapter — starting a family with his wife, Bunny XO, which the country star credits as his biggest inspiration for wanting to change and improve his life.