Jelly Roll's criminal past is officially behind him. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pardoned 33 people on Thursday, December 18, including the country singer. Photos published by the AP showed Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) smiling while he met with Lee, 66, at the Tennessee Governor's Mansion in Oak Hill. Lee could be seen giving the musician his official pardon in the image. Jelly Roll has spoken candidly about his criminal past, revealing in his 2023 documentary, Jelly Roll: Save Me, that he had been to jail around 40 times for various offenses.