Jelly Rolls recalls he was 'at a loss for words' during his first awkward meeting with Taylor Swift
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jelly Roll may be a Grammy-nominated country artist, but even he gets starstruck sometimes. The 'Winning Streak' singer, 39, recently shared a candid moment about his meeting with pop star Taylor Swift at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Despite his success in the music industry, Jelly Roll admitted to feeling nervous and nearly speechless when he ran into Swift.
Jelly Roll wanted to share emotional connection with Taylor Swift at 2024 Grammys
In an interview with People, Jelly Roll explained that when he saw Taylor Swift at the Grammys, he wanted to tell her about a unique connection they shared.
He recalled how, years ago, he used to push his daughter, Bailee, on the swings at a playground in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which Taylor had helped fund.
“I take a ridiculous, probably abnormal, amount of pride in being from Nashville, so anytime I can link a Tennessee connection, it tickles me,” Jelly Roll said. “Taylor lived in Hendersonville for a while, and she had bought a playground. I used to push Bailee on that swingset that Taylor donated to Hendersonville.”
Swift’s involvement in the community goes back to 2010 when she teamed up with Little Tikes Commercial to rebuild Kids Kingdom at Memorial Park after it was destroyed by flooding. Swift donated $100,000 to the cause, and the playground now features castle-inspired slides, complete with flags that bear her signature.
Jelly Roll, clearly proud of this connection, was eager to share it with Swift. However, his nerves got the best of him.
“I wanted to tell her that when I met her, but I was so nervous I couldn’t even remember what swingset it was,” he confessed. “I did so bad! Definitely was at a loss for words in that moment.”
Jelly Roll gets starstruck meeting Taylor Swift at the Grammys
Despite Jelly Roll having a special connection, it was Taylor Swift who approached him at the event.
“My wife [Bunnie XO] said, ‘I think Taylor’s coming over to holler at you',” Jelly Roll recalled. “It was like the Red Sea parted for her.” Despite the unexpected interaction, Jelly Roll was unable to convey his intended message. “I’m looking at Taylor Swift and I have a reason to explain to her why I like her so much, and I’m going, ‘You built the swingset somewhere, my daughter, I pushed her on it'.”
The heartwarming yet awkward exchange was captured on video by Bunnie XO, who shared the clip on TikTok with the caption, “When your hubby gets to meet his crush finally.”
Jelly Roll may have a chance to redeem himself at the 2025 Grammy Awards, as both he and Swift are nominated for several awards. Jelly Roll’s song 'I Am Not Okay' is up for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, while Taylor Swift has six nominations to her name.
