Jelly Roll addressed his striking new appearance after debuting a dramatic look without his signature beard. The country star and Grammy nominee revealed the change following his major weight loss transformation.
Jelly Roll shaved his beard amid weight loss
Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, revealed a major transformation by shaving his beard after over a decade. The 40-year-old singer shared a video on Instagram showing his clean-shaven face, saying, “By now you have probably figured out that I look like a ninja turtle… One of the reasons I even started growing a beard is I was so obese, it was just easier to cover up what was happening here.” His post follows a significant weight loss of over 200 pounds.
He began his weight loss journey in December 2022. By April 2025, he shared during Pat McAfee’s Big Night AHT that his weight had dropped from 540 pounds to 357 pounds. He added, “I want to lose another 100 pounds so I can go skydiving with my wife, Bunnie XO.”
At the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards, he explained that the hardest part of losing weight is managing food, stating, “If you’re really battling obesity, you got to start at the dinner table… you got to fight that addiction at the dinner table.” (via Fox News)
His beard-free reveal comes shortly after the announcement of the 2026 Grammy Award nominations. Roll received three nominations, including Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
In his Instagram video, Roll became emotional, saying, “When I made it to my first Grammy of the year… I thought to myself this is the only time I’ll ever be at the Grammys, and to be coming back three years later with more nominations than I’ve ever had is just… first of all the gratitude.”
He added, “There’s not an artist in the world that didn’t grow up watching the Grammys… and rehearse their speech.” Holding back tears, he said, “Win, lose or draw, dude, holy f**k we won.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
