Jelly Roll says he is preparing to ask lawmakers for the chance to legally own a rifle so he can go hunting.
The country performer discussed the restrictions tied to his parole during a recent appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience.”
He noted that his criminal record prevents him from possessing or firing a firearm, a prohibition that Rogan questioned when he asked if the rules applied permanently. That led Jelly Roll to outline the current status of his case.
“Well, this is interesting. This is a slippery slope for me. I am up for a pardon this year. My paperwork has been sent to my governor, and he considers pardons every December. So, every day, I’m just kind of praying,” the singer disclosed.
He explained that if he is issued a pardon by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, the state’s laws for violent offenders would keep his record intact.
“So, I would be pardoned, but I wouldn’t be exonerated. The charges aren’t completely gone,” he added.
Jelly Roll detailed what he hopes to pursue if he does receive clemency. He wants to approach state lawmakers and request the ability to hunt again, describing that activity as beneficial to both his mental and physical well‑being.
“My goal is that I want to reach out to legislation eventually and go, ‘Hey, if nothing else, I’d like my right to hunt,'” he said.
He added that he believes there should be a legal route forward for people with past convictions.
“I want to go to them and go, ‘Look, I understand if you’ve ever raped somebody or killed somebody, but I think that every … it should … there should be some path to redemption.’ Even if it takes 30 years,” he noted.
Beyond hunting, he said part of his wish stems from wanting the ability to protect himself. He told Rogan that he spends over a million dollars each year on security and could reduce that cost substantially if he were able to carry a firearm legally.
Rogan acknowledged the issues about felons owning guns when it comes to public safety while pointing out that Christianity teaches forgiveness, something he said aligns with Jelly Roll’s own beliefs.
The artist has spoken openly about his past, including the 2023 documentary “Jelly Roll: Save Me,” where he revealed he had been jailed 40 times for various offenses.
His most serious charge involved aggravated robbery and possession with intent to sell when he was 16.
Tried as an adult, he faced up to two decades in prison but ultimately served a little over one year, followed by seven years of probation.
“I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime,” he told Billboard in 2023. “This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did.”
He recently shared an uncomfortable moment during a visit to a Louis Vuitton store in Sydney. In early November, he said on social media that employees watched him as though he was preparing to steal something.
“Hey man, the Louis Vuitton in Sydney, legitimately just treated us like we were finna come in and rob that place,” he posted.
“I have never been looked at more like a crim… Listen, the last time I was looked at like a criminal this bad… I was an actual criminal this bad.”
His record has also affected his ability to travel internationally. In an Interview magazine conversation with Jon Bon Jovi last year, Jelly Roll said, “We’re figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas.”
Though he now has a passport, he mentioned that some countries remain hesitant because of his convictions.
During the 2023 CMAs, he told Fox News Digital that the difficulties in his past shaped his outlook on life today.
“I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for what I went through. I think it empowered me. I think it gave me my voice,” the “Save Me” singer commented.
He added that his history taught him about transformation and motivated him to give back through his music and his actions.
A significant part of his conversation with Rogan focused on the substantial weight loss he has undergone.
Jelly Roll described shedding roughly 300 pounds and said he believed his former weight had placed him in severe danger of imminent death.
“I don’t think I’m making this up when I say I think I was six to 12 months away from missing it,” he told Rogan.
With heavy travel demands and hundreds of flights a year, he said sustaining that lifestyle at over 500 pounds had become impossible. Rogan pointed out that being that heavy was “So bad for you.”
Jelly Roll said the turning point came near his 39th birthday, when he looked ahead to turning 40 and remarked, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a 500-pound 40-year-old.”
He spoke about having dealt with multiple heart issues and feeling as though he was running out of time.
“I was like, ‘Man, I should really start trying to figure this out’ … I could feel myself dying, Joe,” he said.
He told Rogan that he had been trying to lose weight for most of his life but approached it differently this time around.
He stopped treating overeating as a moral failure and instead viewed it as “a biological loop that I didn’t know how to interrupt.” He said that in 2022 he fluctuated between 480 and 560 pounds.
Rather than making sweeping commitments, he started small. With guidance from an expert, he began daily cold plunges and walking 10,000 steps.
He became emotional recalling how his family encouraged him during his early efforts. He admitted that his size had taken a toll on his marriage, saying, “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.”
Along with increased activity, he changed his diet and said he has avoided bread for two years except on Thanksgiving.
Therapy became another part of his effort to understand and manage his relationship with food. He told Rogan, “I never planned on living, Joe,” explaining that even as success arrived, he assumed his life would be short.
He said he took comfort knowing his children would remember him for his accomplishments rather than his struggles.
During the podcast, Rogan played a recorded message from country musician Craig Morgan inviting him to join the Grand Ole Opry.
“Jelly Roll, you’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry,” Morgan said.
The “Wild Ones” singer removed his headphones and put his head in his hands as he teared up, then asked Rogan for a hug as they shared a brief emotional exchange.
“It don’t get no bigger in country music, bubba. That’s as big as it gets,” he told Rogan afterward.
Watch Jelly Roll react to being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry here: