Jelly Roll's Bone-Chilling Death Confession — Slimmed Down Country Singer Felt Himself 'Dying' When He Weighed Over 500 Pounds
Jelly Roll has been open about his 200 pound weight loss.
Dec. 12 2025, Published 12:15 p.m. ET
Jelly Roll has confessed he was terrified he only had "six to 12 months" left to live at his heaviest weight, RadarOnline.com can confirm, before the singer dropped an amazing 200 pounds.
The newly svelte singer has been open about his weight loss and admitted he didn't think he'd live past 40.
'I Could Feel Myself Dying'
The singer told Joe Rogan he was preparing to die.
Jelly Roll, real name Jason DeFord, delved into his body transformation as a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience.
The hitmaker, who turned 41 on December 4, revealed he first really took his weight loss seriously two years ago, at age 39, because, "I knew my next one was 40… I don't think I've ever met a 500-pound 40-year-old."
The Son of a Sinner singer, who has had multiple heart scares, said he felt like he had already "cheated the game."
"I was like, 'Man, I should really start trying to figure this out,' he told host Rogan. "I could feel myself dying, Joe."
Going On Tour Made Everything Worse
At his heaviest, Jelly Roll weighed over 500 pounds.
Jelly Roll then admitted he felt like he was running out of time to turn it around: "I don't think I'm making this up when I say I think I was six to 12 months away from missing it."
Touring the country had a particular effect on his health.
"Especially traveling – you know, I travel 280 days a year. At 500-something pounds, 200-something flights a year, 250 flights a year?" he detailed.
His hulking frame was especially crushing for his s-- life with wife, Bunny XO.
"I married the kind of woman that makes you smile when you're crying, Joe, and I couldn't even get aroused, I was so big," he explained.
Small Steps Led to Big Results
The weight loss has helped his s-- life with wife Bunnie XO.
The country superstar explained he had been trying, unsuccessfully, to lose weight his entire life. What made this time different was his shift in mindset: he no longer saw overeating as a "failure of willpower," but as a "biological loop that I didn't know how to interrupt."
He started small, with simple cold plunges and a goal of 10,000 steps a day. The "lifelong food addict" also credited his band with setting up basketball tournaments they'd take part in while he was on his arena tour, and revealed that he worked out "every day" by walking the steps of the venues where he played.
Jelly Roll also started working with a nutritionist, saying he only ate his prescribed meals twice a day with a "fruit snack in between" in addition to practicing intermittent fasting.
"It’s been all food. I’m working out, I’m walking. But what I’ve learned is that, as I’m losing weight, by nature I just want to go walking and do more stuff cause I’m lighter," he previously said. "I feel better."
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Jelly Roll Will Continue to Lose Weight
The singer credited diet and exercise.
And he says he's not done yet.
"I've been really kicking a--, man," he told People. "I'm doing two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. I'm doing 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna, six minutes in a cold plunge every day. I'm eating healthy right now."
Now he said his new goal is to be on the cover of Men's Health by next March.
"I feel really good," he continued. "I was thinking, I plan on losing another 100, 100-and-something (pounds). If I feel this good down this weight, man, I can only imagine what I'm going to feel like by the time I go (back) on tour."
