Jelly Roll Reveals Being Incarcerated At 13, Says He Was ‘Still A Bad Person’ In His Early 30s

Jelly Roll Morton, a country music sensation, has long been frank about his personal troubles. During a recent appearance on ‘On Purpose’ with Jay Shetty, the 39-year-old singer discussed his criminal history, which has troubled him since his adolescence.

Reflecting on his early years, Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, shared how insecurities plagued him from a young age. “I was always a bigger kid,” he said, explaining how that led to challenges.

Raised in Antioch, Tennessee, a neighborhood he describes as “active,” the young Jelly sought acceptance, often turning to the streets for the validation he craved. “The streets will always give it to you,” he remarked.

Recalling Early-Age Troubles

One incident in particular landed Jelly Roll in the juvenile justice system. He recounted a fight with another boy, during which he grabbed a chain wallet to use as a weapon.

This act led to charges of strong-arm robbery, a serious offense for a 13-year-old. Jelly Roll spent about 20 months in the system because of that one moment.

Though many years have passed since his troubled youth, Jelly Roll still carries the weight of those early decisions.

Jelly Roll has made it a personal mission to make amends for his past mistakes. One of his long-term goals is to apologize to the victim of the robbery that changed the course of his life. “No matter how old I was, I had no business taking from anybody,” he said. “That entitlement that the world owed me something… what a terrible way to see life and people.”

“I’m so embarrassed to talk about them,” he admitted. “I was still a bad person in my early 30s, but I mean, I was a really horrible kid all the way into my mid-20s.” He often hears people say he’s one of the kindest individuals they’ve ever met, to which he responds, “I’m glad you didn’t know me 20 years ago.”

Reflecting on Music, Relationship With Mother and Late Father

Music, however, has been a saving grace for Jelly Roll, and he credits his mother, who struggled with addiction and mental health issues, for helping foster his love of it. Despite her battles, she found comfort in music, and the two shared a special connection over it.

“When she seems her healthiest, there’s always music playing,” he recalled. “It got to the point where if she was downstairs with her girlfriend, she’d call me up there to read whatever [song] I wrote was.”

The country star also reflected on the close relationship he had with his father, who passed away in 2019.

Their bond grew stronger after Jelly Roll broke free from the cycles of incarceration that had defined much of his youth. “Me and him started really getting close and I started leaning on him,” he said. “We would go to happy hour three or four days a week, every day. And we’d go sit at the same spot at the same bar and the memory and street in Nashville called the Tin Roof from 4 to 6.”

Today, Jelly Roll is a devoted father to two children, Bailee Ann, 16, and Noah, 7. He hopes to instill the lessons he learned the hard way in his kids, especially his daughter. “She’s going to be everything I wasn’t,” he said, proud of the bright future he envisions for her.

Jelly Roll’s journey has been one of transformation, and though the road was filled with darkness, he managed to find light at the end. His collaboration with MGK on a reimagined version of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” earned him a People’s Choice Country Award, and his Beautifully Broken tour continues to captivate audiences across the country.

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