Jelly Roll shows off clean-shaven look for first time in 10 years amid weight loss journey
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Country Singer Jelly Roll shared a new look on YouTube, without his signature beard that he has had for over 10 years, on Friday, November 21, 2025.
The vlog featured the singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, joking that he looked like a “ninja turtle” and revealing that one of the reasons he started growing a beard was due to his weight.
Jelly Roll discusses weight loss journey
In his latest vlog, which centered mainly around his new Tennessee home, Jelly Roll introduced his fans to his friend, Greg Sanford. As the latter opened up about his weight loss journey, noting that he started at 425 lbs, went down to 238 lbs, and currently weighs 283 lbs.
Jelly Roll said that when Greg had started losing weight, he still weighed somewhere around 500 lbs. He added that his friend would constantly encourage him and that watching Greg lose weight was what inspired his own journey.
Together, they revealed that they were going to run the New York marathon in 2026 and had a "year-long goal" to get there.
The next part of the video showed Jelly Roll back at his house, where he further discussed his weight loss.
“At this point, I’m sure some of y’all are exhausted about hearing about my weight loss. But a lot of things change when you start losing weight. You realize things. One of the things I realized is I don’t know what I look like. I’ve had a beard to try to cover up my double chin,” he said.
Jelly Roll shaves off his beard on camera
The 'Save Me' singer revealed that the last time his face was shaved was when he had been released from jail in 2016.
"I got a feeling I'm going to look like a Ninja Turtle," he joked.
Jelly Roll said he was about to shave his face and surprise his family. He added that his wife, Alyssa DeFord, also known as Bunnie XO, was the only person who knew what he was doing.
He added that his daughter was going to see him without a beard for the first time. Jelly Roll's wife filmed the scene on her phone and said she loved the new look.
The two then showed their daughter, Bailee Ann, the new look. Bailee started to laugh and cry at the same time, while saying she didn't like it. She also said that her father looked like a "turtle."
