“I PANICKED AND JUST MADE SOMETHING UP” — Jelly Roll’s Hilarious Confession About Lying to Kids Over His Face Tattoos Has Fans Howling

Jelly Roll was a guest on Taste of Country Nights where I asked him what it was like taking his kids to school back in the day, with all of his face tattoos.

As I finished asking the question, he lit up with that one-of-a-kind smile that only he has, and began to tell a hilarious story from when his daughter, Bailee, went to kindergarten.

“When she was in kindergarten it was so funny because all of her little friends would go ‘What is all that stuff on your face?’ Jelly continued, “I would go ‘You won’t believe this, I only draw this on when I come see y’all so y’all are excited about it.’”

Jelly Roll - Whitsitt Chapel
Vinyl Records

 

“Finally, they were like ‘how do you draw it on the same way every time?’ I said ‘I got the little sticker things now because I been coming so much.’”

Phillip Faraone, Getty Images
Phillip Faraone, Getty Images

Jelly said that as those same friends of his daughter’s got older and older, some of their parents started to not let them hang out at their house due to the face tattoos and the lifestyle that they assumed it brought.

What Does Jelly Roll Think of His Face Tattoos After Losing Weight?

Read More: Jelly Roll’s Face Tattoos No Longer Match the Man He’s Become

After losing 275lbs and becoming a global superstar, the “Save Me” singer even admitted he’s thought about removing some of his tattoos as part of his personal evolution — one that’s taken him from self-destruction to self-love.

Jelly Roll’s Stunning Weight Loss Journey in 29 Pictures

Jelly Roll once weighed over 500 pounds, but as of January 2026, he’s close to 250. His weight loss journey wasn’t linear, however. These 29 pictures show how he put weight on and dropped in at various stages of his life, dating back to 2011.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

2011
2011

Ed Rode, Getty Images

2011

True story: Jelly Roll got his nickname from his mother. There’s no secret meaning. He was young and chubby, and he’d later admit his weight brought him a ton of pain and anxiety as a child and adult.
2015
2015

Johnny Nunez, Getty Images

2015

Jelly Roll slimmed down considerably by 2015. Here he is in 2015 in New York City. You’ll notice that most of his face tattoos are still a few years away.
October 2016
October 2016

Johnny Nunez, Getty Images

October 2016

This is the first picture we could find of Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie Xo. They’re at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City.
September 2021
September 2021

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

September 2021

By 2021, Jelly Roll had gained the weight he’d later try so desperately to lose. He’d started to focus on country music by then. This is him and Ernest at the Ryman Auditorium.
September 2021
September 2021

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

September 2021

This is the same night as the last picture, but the photo shows more of a profile.
June 2022
June 2022

Michael Hickey, Getty Images

June 2022

Jelly Roll’s 2022 CMA Fest included a stop at Spotify House, where he posed with good friend Ashley McBryde. She’s been on her own weight loss journey in the years since. It included sobriety.
November 2022
November 2022

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

November 2022

Jelly Roll walked his very first CMA Awards red carpet in November 2022. His outfit was inspired by Johnny Cash.
April 2023
April 2023

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

April 2023

By 2023, Jelly Roll had started to focus on his health and weight loss. The last photo (from the CMA Awards) was more of a close-up picture, but he definitely looks trimmer in this pic from the CMT Music Awards.
May 2023
May 2023

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

May 2023

Here’s Jelly Roll one month later at the ACM Awards in Texas.
September 2023
September 2023

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

September 2023

The most noticeable changes are still to come. Here is Jelly Roll in late summer 2023 at an event in Burbank, Calif.
November 2023
November 2023

Erika Goldring, Getty Images

November 2023

Jelly Roll’s wife Bunnie Xo has always been by his side and is without a doubt his biggest champion. Here they are at the BMI Awards in Nashville in November 2023.
November 2023
November 2023

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

November 2023

Compare this picture of Jelly Roll at the 2023 CMAs with the one from 2022. The difference is staggering!
December 2023
December 2023

Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images

December 2023

One month after the CMA Awards, Jelly Roll walked another red carpet. It was a very busy season in his life.