Jelly Roll is truly living the rags to riches life. The 41-year-old singer and rapper, who is set to appear as a judge on Netflix's Star Search, has boosted his net worth dramatically since rising to fame over the past few years.
Jelly's net worth in 2026 is estimated to be $16 million. The singer has come a long way in life, being charged with a felony when he was just 16. These days, he is married to Alisa "Bunnie XO" DeFord, is a dad-of-two, and is a very successful musician.
During his 23-year-career, Jelly's won three CMT Music Awards and has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2016. But how did he accrue $16 million in net worth? Here's everything HELLO! knows.
© WWE via Getty ImagesJelly Roll's early life was marked by brushes with the criminal justice system
The rapper was born Jason Bradley DeFord on December 4, 1984 in a small town outside of Nashville, Tennessee. When he was little, his mom – who struggled with mental illness and addiction – nicknamed him "Jelly Roll" because he loved donuts.
From age 14 to about 24, he was arrested several times and spent time in jail for felonies including possession with intent to distribute and aggravated robbery. When Jelly was 16, he was arrested and charged as an adult.
"I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime," he told Billboard. "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."
© Getty ImagesMusic was Jelly Roll's way out of poverty
He wrote his first rap when he was nine or 10 and soon started passing out mixtapes of his music. "There was a place in Antioch that would let us cut demos for like 30 bucks an hour," he recalled to Billboard. "We had a dude who had a rolling keyboard and he'd make beats."
Jelly kept making music throughout his youth. He released music independently and as part of the trio SNO with Lil Wyte and BPZ. And in 2021, he finally had his big break.
© Getty ImagesBreakout success in 2021
When Jelly was 37, he first performed at the Grand Ole Opry and released his debut country album Ballads of the Broken. "Song of a Sinner," which was the third song on the album, reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Since then, he has continued to rise. Jelly has collaborated with several well known artists like Lainey Wilson, Machine Gun Kelly, and Eminem. And in 2024, he launched a co-headlining tour with Post Malone, which grossed $231 million.
© Getty Images for Jelly RollJelly Roll's brand deals and merch
Aside from touring and creating music, Jelly has increased his net worth through his many brand deals and merchandise. The singer partnered with Hey Dude to create custom shoes and with Dunkin' during his National Donut Day promotion.
In May 2025, Amazon announced its exclusive Jelly Roll merch, with denim jackets and graphic t-shirts ranging from $30 to $150.
© Getty ImagesHis wife keeps him grounded
The 41-year-old has been married to the podcaster, Bunnie, since 2016 after meeting the year prior, and he isn't shy about publicly declaring his love for her, calling her his "best friend" and "partner."
The couple met in 2015 when she attended one of his gigs at Country Saloon in Las Vegas. Jelly and Bunnie raise Bailee Ann, 17, and Noah, nine, together. The singer and his wife have primary custody of his oldest, who he had with his ex-partner Felicia.
The same year Bunnie and Jelly married, he welcomed his son Noah with another ex-partner, Melisa. In 2023, Bunnie wrote to Facebook: "Meet Noah's beautiful mommy, Melisa. I wanted y'all to get to see who Babymama #2 is because we have been so public about Bailee's mama, it's only fair y'all get to see & love her as well."
The ever cool podcaster continued: "It takes a village to raise these babies & luckily we have her as a part of the family."
