Country music star and WWE celebrity competitor Jelly Roll has been granted a full pardon for past felony convictions.
The singer, real name Jason DeFord, was one of 33 individuals pardoned by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Thursday. The decision clears DeFord’s criminal record.
The 41-year-old has become a regular presence on WWE programming over the past two years, culminating in his in-ring debut at SummerSlam in New Jersey this past August.
In a statement to reporters, Governor Lee said:
His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for.
The pardon addresses a 2002 conviction for robbery, committed when DeFord was 17, and a 2008 conviction for possession of marijuana and cocaine. DeFord has previously stated that these felonies prevented him from booking international tours.
The Grammy-nominated artist has integrated heavily into the wrestling world throughout 2024 and 2025. He spent several weeks living in Orlando earlier this year to train at the WWE Performance Center ahead of his match at SummerSlam.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show in July, DeFord described his residency at the training facility:
I’m showing up every day like a piece of furniture over there. They can’t kick me out of there, dude. I’m there from the moment they wake up till it closes almost.
At SummerSlam 2025, he teamed with Randy Orton in a tag team match against Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre.
His physical involvement began a year prior at SummerSlam 2024 in Cleveland. During an angle with Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, DeFord delivered a chokeslam and a Five Knuckle Shuffle to Theory.
Beyond wrestling, the pardon restores DeFord’s right to vote and facilitates his stated goal of performing missionary work.
“I was a part of the problem,” DeFord told lawmakers during a previous Senate testimony regarding fentanyl. “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”
