At the 2025 CMT Awards, Jason DeFord—better known as Jelly Roll —turned heads in a way no one expected. The rapper-turned-country-sensation, once known for his heavy build and signature tattoos, walked the red carpet looking like a new man.
Fans couldn’t believe their eyes.
Gone were the swollen cheeks and round belly. In their place: a leaner face, visible jawline, and a dramatic weight loss that left people speechless. Some even questioned if it was him.
“Is this real?” one fan wrote online.
“He looks like he just stepped out of a movie,” said another.
“This is not the same guy I saw last year!”
Jelly Roll has never been shy about his personal journey. From battling addiction to finding love with his wife, Jessica, and becoming a father, he has often spoken about how sobriety and family transformed his life.
In a recent interview, he admitted:
“I used to think self-medication through drugs and food was the only way to deal with pain. But now? I’ve found healthier ways to cope.”
His weight loss didn’t happen overnight. Over the past two years, he had been slowly changing his lifestyle—clean eating, regular workouts, and therapy to address emotional trauma.
And now, standing tall and confident at the CMT Awards, he looked more like a leading man than a former street artist.
Some fans missed his old look.
“I miss the real Jelly,” one commented.
“He was more relatable before.”
“Feels like he’s trying too hard to fit in.”
But most reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
“Proud of you, Jelly!”
“You earned this moment.”
“So happy he’s finally seeing his worth.”
Jelly Roll’s rise from underground rap battles to mainstream country success has always been a story of reinvention.
Now, after years of struggle, he’s proving that change—real, lasting change—can come from the unlikeliest places.
And sometimes, it starts with loving yourself enough to try again.