Jelly Roll declined to share his views on ICE during a post-Grammys interview Sunday, joking that people shouldn’t care about his political opinions. The country singer, born Jason Deford, admitted feeling “disconnected” from current events, partly due to not having a phone for 18 months.
After winning three Grammy Awards, the 41-year-old self-deprecatingly called himself a “dumb redneck” and explained his limited exposure to politics growing up. “I didn’t even know politics were real until I was in my mid-20s in jail,” Jelly Roll shared. “When you grew up in a drug addict household, we were just trying to survive.”
While avoiding immediate commentary, he promised to address Immigration and Customs Enforcement extensively on social media soon: “Everybody’s going to hear exactly what I have to say in the most loud and clear way I’ve ever spoke.”
This echoes Jelly Roll’s December 2024 explanation for shaking hands with former President Trump, when he admitted on his wife Bunnie XO’s podcast that he “didn’t grow up in a voting culture” and lacked political knowledge.
Notably, Jelly Roll didn’t wear an “ICE Out” pin like numerous other celebrities at the event, including Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny. During his acceptance speech for best contemporary country album, he emphasized spiritual inclusivity: “Jesus is for everybody, not owned by one political party.”
The artist credited his faith and wife for transforming his life, telling Bunnie XO from stage: “I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus.” The couple showed affection on the red carpet, celebrating his additional wins for best country duo/group performance and best contemporary Christian music performance/song.