Country-rap singer Jelly Roll showcased a slimmed-down frame this week after publicly reaching a roughly 200-pound weight-loss milestone and posting photos from his appearance at the Grace for the World concert in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Jason DeFord, who performs as Jelly Roll, shared images on Instagram of himself in a navy bomber jacket over a silver cardigan and black shirt and trousers ahead of the Vatican performance, quipping to his more than five million followers, "I can fit in Louis Vuitton now. Pray for my bank account." He performed at the event alongside artists including John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Bocelli, Karol G, Pharrell Williams and BamBam.
DeFord has publicly chronicled his weight loss since 2022. He has said he began at about 540 pounds and reported weighing 357 pounds in April. He told a hometown crowd at a Tennessee Titans event that he had reached a 200-pound loss, and he has continued to discuss further goals in interviews, including a plan to lose another 100 pounds and go skydiving with his wife.
The singer has described the work as a long battle with food addiction and a sustained effort to change how he approached eating and life on the road. He told People in November that he had lost 110 pounds at that point, noting that 60 to 70 pounds came during his Beautifully Broken tour that year. "It’s cool because there was once a time in life that the culture I built on tour was the opposite. It revolved around alcohol and drugs," he said, adding that tour culture had shifted toward healthier eating, exercise and daily emotional check-ins with his crew.
DeFord has attributed part of the challenge to habits formed in childhood in the Antioch area of Nashville. "Nobody in my house ever had [a healthy relationship with food], so that was the hard part, really fighting that demon at first and getting into that discipline and that commitment," he said in past interviews. He called the process of changing his relationship with food an "avalanche" once progress began.
His wife, Alisa DeFord, who goes by Bunnie XO, responded to the Instagram post with a celebratory comment, and DeFord publicly thanked members of his team and collaborators who helped make the Vatican appearance possible.
Jelly Roll rose to prominence blending country and hip-hop influences and has used his platform to discuss health, addiction and personal faith. His stage name, he has said, originated as a childhood nickname given by his mother.
In recent months he has continued to make public appearances and to reference his ongoing weight-loss goals in interviews and at live events, while touring and performing with other high-profile artists.