The tragic story of Jelly Roll, the stage name for Jason DeFord, is a rags to riches story that’s truly one for the books. Once a drug-peddling kid who got in with the wrong crowd to one of country music’s biggest stars, Jelly Roll’s kids, Bailee Ann and Noah, have been by his side as his career has taken off. More so than that, the singer credits them as the reason he turned his life around in the first place.

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Both of his babies were welcomed by different mothers, and Bunnie XO — also known as Alisa DeFord — subsequently became the children’s stepmother when she and Jelly tied the knot in August 2016. While Noah largely stays out of the limelight of public appearances and the social media empire Bunnie has created, Bailee Ann has appeared on Bunnie’s podcast, “Dumb Blonde,” where she didn’t shy away from revealing her turbulent childhood. Without further ado, let’s dive into everything there is to know about Jelly Roll’s baby mamas.

Jelly Roll famously welcomed his daughter, Bailee Ann DeFord, when he was behind bars on May 22, 2008. During an interview with Billboard from June 2023 Jelly recalled that he had received the news from an officer, and an epiphany dawned on him that he needed to make a change, fast. A little while later, Jelly was released from prison, and he met Bailee Ann on her birthday in 2010.

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Naturally, Bailee’s mother, Felicia Beckwith, was hesitant for her ex to be spending time with their daughter because of his previous drug dealing and time in jail, so their co-parenting relationship was certainly rough waters before the waves smoothed out. “​​She made me go to court to even see her. I barely got to see her in the early years because I was traveling so much. I was a very less-than-present father,” Jelly said in his documentary, “Jelly Roll: Save Me.” He also referenced an over-reliance on alcohol at the time. 

Beckwith ended up dealing with drug addiction on-and-off. However, when Beckwith just got out of prison in 2020, she and Bailee rekindled their relationship, but it only resulted in more heartbreak for the girl. During an episode of the “Dumb Blonde” podcast from February 2024, Bailee revealed that her mom ran an errand with her to a drug dealer, which led to Beckwith coercing Bailee into doing hard substances at 14 years old. “We’re in the Dollar General and she looks at me and she’s like ‘Will you try it?’ And I’m like, ‘No. What the f*** do you mean will I try it,'” Bailee admitted, continuing, “I ended up trying it because she’s, like I said, manipulative, and she did the mom thing.”

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If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Jelly Roll announced the birth of his son, Noah Buddy DeFord, with a Facebook post on August 24, 2016. “Welcome to Earth,” he wrote, along with a sweet pic of the newborn. Jelly welcomed Noah with his ex Melisa Ann Cowell, and though they weren’t in a romantic relationship for long — as Bunnie XO and Jelly were married the same month and year they welcomed Noah — Jelly and Cowell seem to be on good terms to this day.

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As it turns out, Noah’s absence from social media is calculated, as he is primarily under the care of his mother, who doesn’t have nearly as much of a public presence. The result is a well-oiled co-parenting machine. “I try not to get in the way of what she (Melisa) is building over there, and I never want to step on her toes, with what she’s doing with him, that I want to just respect that boundary,” the country star revealed to Taste & Country in August 2023.

Earlier in the interview, Jelly detailed that everything posted on social media including Noah is first run by his mother. With such processes in place, Noah did make a rare appearance on Bunnie’s TikTok in July 2023; where he revealed some of his favorite things, such as red being his favorite color, soccer being his favorite sport, and, of course, preferring his sister over his dad.

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Jelly Roll wasn’t the same after Bunnie XO stepped into his life. But in 2015 when they initially met, he was fighting for full custody of Bailee Ann. Since he was homeless at the time and had a lengthy history with the court system, his chances weren’t looking good, until Bunnie stepped in and changed everything. “So when Bunnie comes into my life, I have to sit Bunnie down … and go, ‘Look, I have a kid that you know about, that I’m fixing to have to get full custody of,'” Jelly mentioned during an episode of the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast from June 2023, before mentioning that he had another baby (Noah) on the way. Bunnie, who was in a more comfortable place financially, didn’t let this phase her.

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“She said, ‘No matter what happens with us, I’m gonna help you get this little girl,'” Jelly tearfully remarked during the interview. He wasn’t able to sign a lease in a decent school district because of his criminal history and he was living in a van — Bunnie steered him to getting a condo so 8-year-old Bailee could have her own bedroom. He couldn’t afford the lawyer’s fees — Bunnie helped fund the whole thing, and it paid off. Jelly was granted full custody of Bailee Ann in 2017, and she’s been living with him and Bunnie ever since.