By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-09-18 10:26:14 | Updated at 2026-09-18 14:58:47
4 hours ago
Country star Jelly Roll is openly discussing walking away from music and disappearing from public life as backlash lingers over his recent jokes targeting President Donald Trump. The “Save Me” singer said he could abandon the entertainment business entirely and warned fans that they might “never see me again.” His comments were recorded months before the Trump controversy, but their release comes amid criticism from some country fans and questions about the political image he presented to listeners.
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, made the admission during an interview with Kelly Sutton of “Y’all Access Radio” backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. The conversation was recorded in March and published on September 13th, less than three weeks after his controversial stint hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Although the timing rules out his Trump jokes as the original reason for the statement, the backlash could give him another reason to follow through on his desire to escape what he called the “chaos” surrounding the music industry.
“Everything that Jason or Jelly Roll wanted to do in the music business, I’ve done now,” Jelly Roll said. “So at this point, I really need to go talk to God and see if he wants me to stick around, or what he wants me to do next.” He described a scenario in which he would leave his career and the public spotlight without hesitation.
“If God tells me to go work at a homeless shelter in Paducah, Kentucky, I’m outta here,” Jelly Roll said, according to Fox News. “Y’all will never see me again.” He added that he had already received everything he wanted from the industry, citing his Grammys, ACMs, CMAs and membership in the Grand Ole Opry as he considered whether he should remain in music.
Those comments took on a different tone after Jelly Roll provoked anger among some country fans with a string of jokes about Trump during his August appearances on Kimmel’s late-night program. He mocked the president’s weight, physical fitness and approval ratings before making a crude joke about Trump’s body. “Well, Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important,” the singer said.
Country star John Rich argued that Jelly Roll knew exactly what he was risking by making those remarks. Rich said the singer had to understand that “half or more” of his country audience could disown him over comments that conflicted with how many listeners viewed him. “They may turn their back on you. They may stop listening to you. They may turn you off. But you make the statement anyway,” Rich said.
Watch Jelly Roll discuss the possibility of walking away here:
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Rich suggested that the backlash came from fans who felt blindsided after previously believing Jelly Roll was politically aligned with them. “He knows how this works, OK? He knows who the audience is,” Rich said. “And so I have to think he really believes every single word he said, or he wouldn’t have said it.” Rich added that Jelly Roll’s Kimmel appearance showed the public “who he really is and how he really thinks.”
During his Kimmel appearance, Jelly Roll rejected both the MAGA label and the claim that he had become a “liberal snowflake.” He acknowledged leaning left on some issues but described himself as politically “pretty down the middle.” “I am a Christian. I am a country music singer. I’m a farmer. I’m a bow hunter,” he said while defending the political comments that angered part of his audience.
The singer’s March interview made clear that he was already considering whether to remain in music and searching for a way to escape the noise surrounding his career. By the time the interview was published, the political controversy had also exposed the risk that some longtime listeners might turn away, according to Rich. “I just got to go do a little bit of work on myself to make sure that I’m all the way ready,” Jelly Roll said. “I think that I got to separate from the chaos of the business for me to really hear what God wants to do for me next.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
