Country music star Jelly Roll has received major good news during the holiday season, as his criminal past has officially been pardoned.

Capping off a remarkable year that also included his WWE in ring debut, Jelly Roll, real name Jason DeFord, was one of 33 individuals granted pardons this week by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. The pardons covered past drug related and robbery felony convictions that led to Jelly Roll serving time in jail earlier in his life, long before he turned things around and rebuilt his career.

Jelly Roll has frequently spoken publicly about his past struggles and has become a redemptive figure through his honesty and advocacy. A meeting between Jelly Roll and Governor Lee took place on Thursday, though it was stressed that his application went through the same formal review process as all others. The parole board unanimously recommended that the pardon be granted.

“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee said.

The pardon restores Jelly Roll’s civil rights and will also make it significantly easier for the 41 year old to travel internationally.

A lifelong WWE fan, Jelly Roll made his professional wrestling debut at SummerSlam 2025. He competed in a tag team match alongside Randy Orton, coming up short against Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. Since then, Jelly Roll has made it clear that he wants to wrestle again and has even expressed interest in doing a full time WWE run where he would compete weekly for several months. He reportedly earned high praise within WWE for his work ethic and dedication to training ahead of his debut.

Outside of wrestling, Jelly Roll’s music career continues to soar. He is currently nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 2026 ceremony.

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