Country star Jelly Roll responded to questions about current political controversies by saying he’d prefer to stay out of it &#8212; for now.
The 41-year-old celeb made the remarks at the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony, where he took home three trophies.
When asked about the topic of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the red carpet, Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, managed not to answer the question directly. “So I can tell you that people shouldn’t care to hear my opinion,” DeFord said. “You know, I’m a dumb redneck. I haven’t watched enough.” 
He went on to describe himself as “disconnected” from current events.
“I grew up in a house of, like, insane pandemonium. Like, I didn’t even know politics were f*cking real until I was in my mid-20s in jail. Like, that’s how disconnected &#8230; when you grew up in a drug addict household,” he went on. “You think we, like, had common calls about what’s happening in rural politics? Like, we’re just trying to find a way to survive, man.”
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DeFord did promise he’d “have a lot to say about” ICE on social media in the coming days and told fans they would get his thoughts “loud and clear.”
The “Need a Favor” singer also spoke openly about his Christian faith during his Grammys acceptance speech. 
&#8220;They&#8217;re going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out. First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I&#8217;m listening. Lord, I am listening, Lord. Second of all, I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you,” Jelly Roll said while becoming emotional. “I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn&#8217;t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”
“There was a time in my life, y&#8217;all, that I was broken. That&#8217;s why I wrote this album. I didn&#8217;t think I had a chance, y&#8217;all,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There was days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human.&#8221;
&#8220;There was a moment in my life that all I had was a Bible this big, and a radio the same size, and a six-by-eight-foot cell,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I believe that those two things could change my life. I believe that music had the power to change my life, and God had the power to change my life.&#8221;
While Jelly Roll didn’t take a stance on ICE, there were several celebrities at the Grammys who did, opting to wear “ICE OUT” buttons with their outfits. Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Bieber sported the buttons, as did Billie Eilish, Kehlani, Samara Joy, Joni Mitchell, and Jack Antonoff.
Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny devoted his Grammys acceptance speech to protest ICE enforcing immigration laws.

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Jelly Roll Breaks Rank, Doesn’t Criticize ICE At Grammys

Jelly Roll Breaks Rank, Doesn't Criticize ICE At Grammys

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Country star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jelly-roll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jelly Roll</a> talked about reaching a major milestone recently amid his weight loss journey after dropping more than 100 pounds.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1413212/jelly-roll-shares-update-on-health-and-fitness-journey-after-120-pound-weight-loss">E! News</a> at a pre-Super Bowl party, the 40-year-old country singer &#8212; born Jason Bradley DeFord &#8212; reflected on the progress he’s made after sharing in November that he lost 120 pounds after previously revealing he weighed 500 just a few years ago.
&#8220;I hiked a mountain the other day. Camelback,&#8221; DeFord said, referring to a mountain in Arizona &#8220;There is no way that would have been possible beforehand, so it’s great to see that progress, and we still are going.&#8221;
&#8220;It isn&#8217;t always the case where I feel focused or positive,&#8221; he added of his personal weight loss journey. &#8220;The things that motivate me and keep me going are the people I have met along the way. &#8230; The people that come up to me and bravely share their sobriety date, or a story of something that they&#8217;ve dealt with, or someone they’ve lost.&#8221;
&#8220;Seeing the resilience of the human spirit, there is no greater motivation than to keep going,” the singer continued.
In 2018, the country star <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmbiI3_HG-S/?hl=en">said</a> he weighed more than 500 pounds at his heaviest and was told by a doctor that he should “go to a meat processor or truck stop” to learn his actual weight. The singer called it “one of the most embarrassing days of my life.” He went on to describe a cycle of weight loss and gain over the following years.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Country music star Jelly Roll has lost over 100 pounds and says he recently climbed Camelback Mountain in Arizona. <a href="https://t.co/syzhFlhTX4">pic.twitter.com/syzhFlhTX4</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1889098625600344134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
During his appearance in November on “<a href="https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1854598502107541522">The Pat McAfee Show</a>,” the “Wild Ones” singer talked about his health journey and revealed that he was &#8220;down about 120&#8221; pounds while on tour, thanks to a great nutritionist and being active.
Months earlier, DeFord talked about getting ready to participate in his first ever 5k run and said that getting ready for it had helped him lose a significant amount of weight, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/country-star-jelly-roll-said-he-lost-around-70-pounds-training-for-5k-i-feel-really-good">reported</a>.
“I’m probably down 70-something pounds,” Jelly Roll told <a href="https://people.com/jelly-roll-lost-70-something-pounds-5k-training-exclusive-8631050">People</a>. “I’ve been really kicking a**, man. I’m doing two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. I’m doing 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna, six minutes in a cold plunge every day. I’m eating healthy right now.”
“I feel really good,” he added. “I was thinking, I plan on losing another 100, 100-and-something [pounds]. 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.”
The “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker turned his life around after racking up some 40 stints behind bars for various drug-related charges, starting as young as 14, <a href="https://people.com/jelly-roll-found-peace-after-changing-relationship-with-alcohol-cocaine-exclusive-8414853">People</a> noted.
Amanda Harding contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/country-star-jelly-roll-hits-back-at-people-upset-he-met-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Country Star Jelly Roll Hits Back At People Upset He Met With Trump</a>

‘Resilience Of The Human Spirit’: Country Star Talks Reaching Milestone After Dropping Over 100 Pounds

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Country star Jelly Roll hit back at people upset that he recently decided to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, explaining that he was taught to respect the president regardless of politics.
During an appearance on his wife <a href="https://people.com/who-is-bunnie-xo-jelly-roll-wife-7568842">Bunnie Xo</a>&#8216;s podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6G9XAlzTz3fd20vRhbTvup">Dumb Blonde</a>, the 40-year-old singer — born Jason DeFord — said that when he met with Trump at the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden in New York it was an opportunity he wouldn’t pass up, no matter who was the president.
&#8220;Dude, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m not going to meet the president-elect,” Jelly Roll said.  “I don’t care.”
&#8220;If I got a call to meet [President] Joe Biden, I would have stopped at any point and [met] him,&#8221; he added. &#8220;That’s the active president. I don’t care about what he thinks or I think about policies.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jelly Roll defends Donald Trump encounter at UFC event, stresses importance of respecting the president <a href="https://t.co/K27kOroqjw">https://t.co/K27kOroqjw</a> <a href="https://t.co/dqF4INq6fa">pic.twitter.com/dqF4INq6fa</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1869862758751109162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I don’t hide behind the &#8216;I’m not political&#8217; stuff. I’m not political! People who actually know me know I’m also one of the old-school dudes,&#8221; DeFord continued. &#8220;I like to talk about things I’m passionate about. With that, I like to know about it. I don’t know enough about politics to act like I know anything that’s going on or what anybody’s standing for policy-wise.&#8221;
The “Halfway to Hell” singer made it clear he wasn’t raised in a home that made voting important, but said that they did teach him to respect the person in the highest office of the land, <a href="https://people.com/jelly-roll-responds-criticism-after-meeting-donald-trump-8763592?utm_campaign=people&amp;utm_content=likeshop&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=instagram">People magazine</a> noted.
“They did push respecting the president though,&#8221; the country singer said, pointing out that it’s &#8220;the hardest job in the world.&#8221;
During the UFC event, pictures surfaced online showing Jelly Roll and Trump shaking hands, smiling and apparently having a brief conversation.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734716737651000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0eCG2Jf1Q1d_cRBnpyOnui">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
Earlier this year, DeFord made headlines when he spoke out on Capitol Hill about the dangers of fentanyl — and he later talked about how it scares him for “this next generation,” especially his own children, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scares-me-for-this-next-generation-country-star-jelly-roll-on-why-hes-speaking-out-about-dangers-of-fetanyl">reported</a>.
Jelly Roll said our country has “seen crack,” cocaine, and opioids, but added, “we’ve never seen something that is so deadly in such small amounts that’s being mixed in so many different things,” <a href="https://people.com/jelly-roll-scared-fentanyl-will-affect-his-kids-exclusive-8563931?utm_campaign=people&amp;utm_content=likeshop&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=instagram">People magazine</a> noted.
“My daughter will never experience the safety of experimenting with drugs,” the father of two told the outlet. “I know that sounds crazy to say, but when I was a kid, my mother would be like, ‘You’re going to try everything once. Just be safe.’ It’s not safe for any kid to be doing anything.”
“How many more people does [fentanyl] have to kill a day before we start to care, if the number right now is close to 200,” he added. “I just think it’s time to speak about it. It scares me for my daughter. It scares me for my son. It scares me for this next generation. We’ve never seen nothing like fentanyl.”
The “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker turned his life around after racking up some 40 stints behind bars for various drug-related charges, starting as young as 14, <a href="https://people.com/jelly-roll-found-peace-after-changing-relationship-with-alcohol-cocaine-exclusive-8414853">People</a> noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-just-bad-art-jelly-roll-talks-tattoo-regret-says-he-got-staph-infections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘It’s Just Bad Art’: Jelly Roll Talks Tattoo Regret, Says He Got Staph Infections</a>

Country Star Jelly Roll Hits Back At People Upset He Met With Trump

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Jelly Roll Breaks Rank, Doesn’t Criticize ICE At Grammys

‘Resilience Of The Human Spirit’: Country Star Talks Reaching Milestone After Dropping Over 100 Pounds

Country Star Jelly Roll Hits Back At People Upset He Met With Trump