Sad Details About The Life Of Jelly Roll's Daughter Bailee Ann

The following article includes mentions of addiction, mental health, and suicide.

Jelly Roll's journey from a troubled past to a country star is nothing short of inspiring, but fatherhood might just be his biggest accomplishment yet. Born in December 1984, Jelly, real name Jason DeFord, grew up in an unstable home, with his mother, Donna DeFord, struggling with a substance abuse problem as well as mental health issues. As a teenager, Jelly frequently found himself in trouble with the law, with his first arrest dating back to when he was only 14.

Despite his troubled youth, however, Jelly Roll was able to turn things around for himself, touching millions of lives through his music. "I've heard everything from 'Your music was played at my daughter's funeral; she had an accidental overdose' to 'Your song helped me get through rehab; I listened to "Save Me" on repeat for 30 days straight,'" he relayed to The New York Times.

Beyond his musical success, however, Jelly Roll has undergone a stunning transformation in his personal life, particularly as a parent to his kids, daughter Bailee Ann and son Noah. "Being a father is so important to me, and just being as present as I can for her. I compare it to the Christian scripture of when Saul turned into Paul on the Damascus Road," the singer shared in an interview with People. Sadly, Bailee Ann has faced her own set of challenges, ranging from a substance use struggle to health scares, and her telling her life's stories have inspired many, much like her father.

On May 22, 2008, Jelly Roll's first child, daughter Bailee Ann, was born, but sadly, her father wasn't there to witness her arrival. At the time, the country singer was 23-years old and serving time in prison for drug dealing. "A guard knocks on my cell door midafternoon during lockdown. He goes, 'You had a kid today.' I've never had anything in life that urged me at the moment to know that I had to do something different," he shared in an interview with Billboard.

Jelly Roll's teenage years had been tumultuous, characterized by multiple arrests for crimes such as drug possession, drug dealing, shoplifting, and aggravated robbery. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when Jelly Roll was arrested for aggravated robbery at the age of 16. Despite still legally being a minor at the time, the "Save Me" singer was tried as an adult, receiving an eight-year sentence and seven years of probation. "I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime," he admitted in his interview with 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."

Despite the unfavorable circumstances, Bailee's birth was the motivation Jelly Roll needed to turn his life around. During his time in prison, the singer studied for and passed his GED exams. After serving just a little over a year of his sentence, Jelly Roll was released and finally united with his daughter.

For many years, Bailee Ann watched her mom, Felicia Beckwith, struggle with substance use, a situation that deeply impacted their family. In 2020, Bailee, only 11 at the time, took to Instagram, sharing a heartfelt post hinting at her tumultuous relationship with Beckwith. "I don't talk about my personal life on social media much, but my Blood-Mother came home to me on Christmas Day of 2018 and left me again for drugs in January 2019," her caption read in part, highlighting the emotional toll of Beckwith's addiction.

In a 2024 interview on her stepmom Bunnie Xo's "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bailee opened up about her childhood, revealing that her mother's addiction worsened when she was only a child. "Kindergarten year, I guess, is when it started to decline with mom ... you know, addiction and stuff. And then I guess around 6, first grade was when it just, like, went gone," she shared.

Bailee Ann's father, Jelly Roll, also has a difficult history with substance use. So much so that before becoming a successful music star, Jelly was arrested multiple times on drug-related charges. Fortunately, Jelly was able to overcome his addiction. These days, the "I Am Not Okay" singer is grateful for his journey so far. "I've made a lot of peace with my past. I mean, it still haunts me like the ghosts I know, but I tell you what, I don't think about doing no drugs today," he shared in a 2023 interview with People. But while Jelly Roll was able to overcome his challenges, Beckwith's addiction had a profound impact on their daughter.

As Bailee Ann grew older, her mother, Felicia Beckwith's, addiction worsened, impacting not just her mental health but also her physical well-being. During her 2024 appearance on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bailee revealed that Beckwith — who was in a long-term codependent relationship — grew increasingly incapable of taking care of her child. As a result, a young Bailee was forced to take up the role of an adult, fending for herself and "raising" her two younger cousins who lived with them. "The house was horrendous ... Like, nightmares. Like, I still, to this day," Bailee recounted on the podcast, highlighting the deteriorating state of their home at the time.

Bailee's stepmom, Bunnie Xo, also recalled the level of neglect she observed on her first encounter with Bailee in Beckwith's house "I remember the first time your daddy took me there, you had to have been like what, 7 years old? ... My first memory of Bailee is her cooking dinner for her little two cousins ... the neglect in the house was just horrific," the podcaster remembered.

For young Bailee, the situation worsened when Beckwith started experiencing financial troubles, leaving her unable to pay household bills. "Right after I turned 8, 2016, around that time, was when it got to the point where they weren't, like, being able to pay the bills because they were spending all of their money on drugs," she explained. "So, it's like the lights kept going out and the water kept going out. And we owned the house, there wasn't rent, but like, all these things kept turning off."

Given the unfavorable conditions living with Felicia Beckwith, Bailee Ann's life took a challenging turn, forcing her father, Jelly Roll, to request for custody. The pair's request was granted, allowing Bailee to move in with him and his wife, Bunnie Xo. While Jelly and Bunnie were able to provide their daughter with support and a stable home, Bailee was not completely free from the negative impact of her Beckwith's addiction.

A few years after Jelly and Bunnie were granted primary custody, Beckwith returned, seeking reconciliation with Bailee. Though she initially resisted, Bailee eventually gave in, choosing to remain hopeful about their mother-daughter relationship. "I turn 14 and I decided I'm going to go spend the summer with mom ... I'm like I might as well catch up on life," she reflected on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast.

Sadly, this reconciliation quickly became harmful as Beckwith encouraged her daughter to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. "By June we'd been drinking together because I remember we got really drunk at Pride together," Bailee recounted. By July, they had graduated to drugs, a situation that was kept hidden from the rest of their family. "I did drugs for months straight and nobody knew except my mother who manipulated and convinced me to do [drugs]," Bailee added. After months of struggling with drug use, however, Bailee decided it was time to take control of her life. "I got like, completely sober in February. Wasn't drinking, wasn't smoking weed, no pills, I wasn't vaping ... I literally was like, I got get my s*** together," she explained.

Due to her difficult childhood and life experiences, Bailee Ann experienced a mental health decline over time. Particularly, during her struggle with substance abuse, Bailee's mental health took a deep plunge. "Bailee went through a really bad depressive era, and we did an emergency ... intensive therapy workshop," Bunnie Xo recounted on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast episode.

Life became even more distressing when Bailee's then-girlfriend attempted suicide. "That just like sent me spiraling ... That was when it got, like, dark," she admitted on the podcast. The series of traumatic experiences led the teenager to attempt suicide, causing her parents great worry. Bunnie and Jelly subsequently swung into action, seeking professional help for Bailee. "I'd seen all the pain that you've gone through and I knew this is not something that you throw a pill at. This is you need to rip the band-aid open and you've got to really start healing," Bunnie shared on the show.

Bailee also previously touched on her struggle with anxiety in a heartfelt birthday tribute appreciating Bunnie for her support. "She has held my hand through anxiety, cried with me in sad times, smiled with me when I am glad, and celebrated with me at big events. Memories last a lifetime and so does my love for her," she wrote in the January 2020 Instagram post. 

Along with her mental health struggles, Bailee Ann formerly dealt with developing a negative self-image. In a candid 2019 Instagram post, Bailee opened up about her insecurities, revealing she was not confident about her looks. "I have two really big insecurities and one of them is my teeth. I am not very self-confident when it comes to 'loving myself' (my other insecurity is my body)," she confessed. In the same post, however, Bailee explained she had embarked on a journey to self-acceptance and self-love. "Today I said, 'to hell with looks' and after that, I looked in the mirror and said, 'I am perfect the way I am and I love myself no matter what,'" she declared.

Sadly, Bailee's journey to self-acceptance has not been smooth, as she has fallen victim to online trolls who body shame her. In one instance, a TikTok user once described Bailee and her dad as "massively overweight," while accusing Bunnie of "enabling" them. Bunnie was quick to defend Bailee and Jelly, referring to the user as "dense" and ignorant. "People that have excessive weight on them typically have an eating disorder," she explained in her TikTok video. "So for you to even come on my page and say something about my underage daughter's body shows the type of human you are," she added while encouraging her followers to stay kind to everyone regardless of how they look.

After years of ups and downs, Bailee Ann decided it was best to keep her distance from her mother, Felicia Beckwith. During the "Dumb Blonde" episode Bailee revealed that she cut Beckwith off after she got into trouble again. "I'm very strict on my stance on it ... I'm a very black-and-white person. I don't believe in the middle line or the integration of emotion and logic ... I've learned with my mother that there is no healing for her," Bailee explained on the show. The teenager apparently has Jelly's support in that regard.

In an August 2024 interview with The New York Times, the "Son of a Sinner" singer called Beckwith "a piece of s***," admitting that he sometimes questions Beckwith's redemption. In the same vein, Jelly touched on the impact of Beckwith's addiction on their daughter. "After so many times, you get to a point where you're like, man, is it the drugs or is it the person?" he questioned.

Not only is Jelly questioning Beckwith's redemption, but he has allegedly become very protective of Bailee since becoming estranged with her mother. "Jelly's all about second chances, and he believes Felicia can turn her life around and be a part of Bailee's life again," a source claimed to Life & Style. "But for now, Bailee's safety and well-being come first."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, needs help with mental health, or is struggling or in crisis, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
• Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.