What Jelly Roll's Relationship With His Kids Is Really Like

Fatherhood completely reformed Jelly Roll. The singer and rapper became a parent for the first time when he was around 24, with the arrival of Jelly's daughter, Bailee Ann, whom he shares with his ex, Felicia. At the time of his first child's birth, though, Jelly was serving prison time for drug dealing. Speaking to Billboard in 2023, the country star admitted that he was aware that one of his exes was pregnant upon entering prison and was annoyed because of the bad timing.  However, once the "Wild Ones" hitmaker learned of his daughter's birth through a prison guard, Jelly knew he had to turn his life around. As he recalled, "I've never had nothing in life that urged me in the moment to know that I had to do something different. I have to figure this out right now." 

Jelly only got to meet his daughter on her second birthday, as Bailee spent her early years in her mom's care. In an exclusive chat with The List, Justin Paperny, co-founder of White Collar Advice, asserted that Jelly's incarceration could have complicated his relationship with Bailee since it may have left the little girl "feeling confused or resentful about her father's absence, struggling with social stigma and missing the emotional support that a present parent provides." However, Paperny also professed that Jelly could positively change things by being open about what he learned from his mistakes and not falling back into his old ways, which is exactly what he did.

In Jelly Roll's Billboard interview, he owned up to the fact that a series of grave missteps led to his prison stint. But the "Save Me" singer was also incredibly grateful that he didn't endanger his loved one's lives in the process. After Jelly reflected on his mistakes and had a complete transformation, he managed to create the perfect home life for Bailee Ann. In a 2022 Instagram post, Bailee shared that she had been loving life ever since she moved in with Jelly and his wife, Bunnie Xo, in 2016, while her 2021 Instagram birthday tribute for her beloved dad painted an emotional picture of how they had endured all the ups and downs of life as a team. 

"We've been through years of life together, from 4-year-old birthday parties, to custody battles, to dances and holidays, to traveling the country making others smile on the way," she penned. Likewise, in another 2022 Instagram post, Bailee gushed, "I am so freaking proud of the human, artist, and father you are. What's meant to be will be, and it turns out [you're] meant to be a star. Love you, daddy, always." Of course, growing up under Jelly's roof meant she wasn't immune to his musical talents, and as Bailee grew up, she started performing onstage with him. The father-daughter duo even teamed up to record "Tears Could Talk" in 2020, a song that Bailee wrote when she was just 10. 

Jelly Roll welcomed his son, Noah Buddy, on August 23, 2016, with a woman named Melisa. While the "Need A Favor" hitmaker was happy to announce the little one's arrival on Facebook, he remained tight-lipped about Noah's life as he grew up. In fact, we were only officially introduced to him in a 2023 TikTok video. In an interview with Taste of Country that August, Jelly shared that he kept Noah off social media to respect Melissa's wish for privacy. The country singer also revealed that his son lived with his mother, and he didn't want to overstep in his role as a secondary caregiver. Still, the country star was determined to prevent that barrier from affecting his communication with Noah, promising to impart the wisdom gained from his mistakes once Noah reached his mid-teens. 

According to Justin Paperny, co-founder of White Collar Advice, though, Jelly's relationship with Noah may have already started off on the right foot. "Jelly Roll was released when his son was born, which likely allowed him to be more present and actively involved in his son's life from the get-go," Paperny explained, adding, "This can lead to a stronger, more immediate bond with his son and less emotional distance to overcome." And the rapper certainly appeared to be close with Noah and Bailee Ann as the family attended the 2024 Kids Choice Awards in matching denim outfits and big smiles.