Jelly Roll recently made headlines after revealing his nearly 200-pound weight loss journey during a live TV appearance. The country star, known for his candid storytelling and emotional lyrics, shared his transformation journey and a new goal involving his wife and a skydiving trip to Sweden.
Here’s what Jelly Roll said about his progress, what motivated the change, and how it connects to his next big challenge.
Jelly Roll weight loss explained
Jelly Roll confirmed he lost nearly 200 pounds by April 2025.
During a live appearance on Pat McAfee’s Big Night Aht show, he stated, “I started at 540 pounds and I was 357 pounds this morning,” before adding, “I’m gonna lose another 100 pounds and go skydiving with my wife in Sweden, baby!”
He also told Fox News Digital that he’s currently in an “18-month process” of training for a 13.1-mile half-marathon. Earlier in 2025, he shared at a pre-Super Bowl event that he had recently completed a hike up Camelback Mountain in Arizona—something he said wouldn’t have been possible before.
Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, has publicly discussed his weight-loss journey since December 2022. In February 2025, he said, “It’s great to see that progress, and we still are going,” while speaking to E! News. He noted that connecting with fans who share their stories of sobriety or loss has kept him motivated.
In December 2024, Jelly Roll appeared on his wife Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast and explained why he went public with the journey. “I did this publicly for a reason,” he said. “I want to be honest about my struggles with it with people.” He added that many people who lose significant weight do so in private due to shame, but he chose to lose it “in front of everybody” and “bring people along.”
He also stated a new goal on the podcast: “I wanna be on the cover of Men’s Health by March of 2026. That’s my new goal. So I wanna have one of the biggest transformations.”
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.net.
