Country music sensation Jelly Roll has sent shockwaves through his family after shaving off his signature beard for the first time in a decade, capturing his teenage daughter's priceless reaction in a new YouTube video that's quickly gone viral.
The Big Reveal That Left His Daughter Speechless
The 40-year-old rapper-turned-country superstar, whose real name is Jason DeFord, documented his facial hair transformation in detail during a video posted on Thursday. What began as a simple grooming decision turned into an unforgettable family moment when his 17-year-old daughter Bailee Ann saw his clean-shaven face for the first time in her life.
The video captures the exact moment Bailee spots her father's new look, with her immediate shock turning into waves of laughter and tears. "Stay over there!" she shouted as Jelly Roll approached, unable to contain her amusement at his transformed appearance.
"Oh my God! I'm gonna cry, I don't like this!" the teenager screamed while clutching herself and breaking into hysterical laughter. Her reaction proved even more dramatic than that of Jelly Roll's wife Bunnie XO, who had seen the new look earlier in the week.
The Weight Loss Journey Behind the Transformation
Jelly Roll revealed that his decision to remove his facial hair stemmed directly from his impressive weight loss journey, during which he's shed nearly 200 pounds in recent months. The singer admitted he'd originally grown the beard to conceal his double chin, a concern that had become less pressing as his physique transformed.
"At this point, I'm sure some of y'all are exhausted about hearing about my weight loss, but a lot of things change when you start losing weight and you realise things," the hitmaker explained in the video. "I've had a beard to try to cover up my double chin, which I still am clearly going to have a double chin."
The last time Jelly Roll was clean-shaven was when he was fresh out of jail a decade ago, making this transformation particularly significant for the artist who has completely reinvented both his appearance and his career in recent years.
Family Reactions and Future Plans
While Jelly Roll had warned his wife Bunnie XO about his plans to shave, he deliberately kept his daughter in the dark, ensuring her reaction would be completely genuine. The 45-year-old podcaster had shared her own response earlier in the week, noting she'd never seen her husband without facial hair during their entire decade-long relationship.
Bailee Ann's comparison of her father to a "turtle" echoed Jelly Roll's own prediction that he'd resemble a "Ninja Turtle" without his beard. Despite her initial shock, the family moment remained lighthearted and affectionate throughout.
The transformation comes at an exciting time professionally for Jelly Roll, who recently received three Grammy nominations across country and contemporary Christian music categories. His continued weight loss journey remains public, with the star previously expressing his goal to appear on the cover of Men's Health magazine by March 2026.
Jelly Roll has been open about wanting to "lose it in front of everybody" rather than hiding his transformation, seeing his public journey as an opportunity to honestly discuss body image struggles with his fans.
