Jelly Roll Opens Up About Heartfelt Conversation with His Daughter, Who’s Now the Same Age He Was When He Was First Arrested (Exclusive)
Jelly Roll was only 14 when he was arrested for the first time, but he isn’t concerned that his 16-year-old daughter Bailee will make the same mistakes he did.
In this week’s cover story, the 39-year-old Grammy-nominated artist opens up about his conversations with Bailee, including one recent discussion in which he emphasized how much potential he sees in her.
“I told her, ‘I don’t judge you by what you do. I judge you by what I know you’re capable of,’” Jelly Roll recalls. “‘You’re far smarter than I was at 16. You’re better, more emotionally mature, and you can read a room so much better. So don’t try to talk your way out of trouble, Miss Sassy, by using my past against me.’”
As the father of 8-year-old son Noah as well, Jelly Roll believes Bailee is “way ahead” of where he was at her age and is confident she has a bright future ahead of her.
“When I think about the things she does that I consider bad, I remember what I was doing at 16 and think, ‘Oh boy…’ When I’m tough on her or push her a bit, she knows it’s coming from a place of love,” he shares.
The «Winning Streak» singer and his wife, Bunnie Xo, have had full custody of Bailee since 2017, due to her mother’s struggles with drug addiction. Jelly Roll has since mentioned that Bailee and her mother are working on rebuilding their relationship.
He and Bailee have remained very close, with her supporting him at the 2024 CMA Awards earlier this month. Jelly Roll was incarcerated when Bailee was born, and he has often stated that her arrival marked a major turning point in his life.
“We were incredibly close before everything went downhill, but she understands the bigger picture for her future and the family,” he says.
Bailee recently joined her mom Bunnie on the Dumb Blonde podcast, where she shared her aspirations of attending Columbia University after high school to pursue a career in criminal defense law.
“That’s my goal — I want to go there and study law. As for music, I’m not focusing on it at the moment,” she explained.
