Jelly Roll is addressing speculation that Ozempic contributed to his dramatic weight loss
The 41-year-old country star, whose real name is Jason DeFord, addressed the rumors while guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on August 26, after Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested that the singer’s weight loss was connected to the popular GLP-1 medication
During his monologue, Jelly Roll played a clip of Watters discussing what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and joking that Ozempic should come with a warning label because of its supposed side effects
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“First of all, Jesse, I’ll have you know Ozempic is the only drug I haven’t tried,” Jelly Roll said in response. “I know it sounds unbelievable, but I lost weight the old-fashioned way: cocaine.”
He then clarified that the line was a joke, adding, “No seriously, I got in shape before the GLP-1 craze started. And I’m kind of proud of the fact that I did it through diet and exercise.”
The Grammy-winning rapper and singer has been open about his weight-loss journey, which began in earnest in 2023. At his heaviest, he weighed 540 pounds. By late 2025, he had dropped to about 265 pounds, amounting to a 275-pound loss
In an interview published this past January, he told Men’s Health that his weight had affected nearly every part of his life
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“I was a prisoner to my own body,” he said, describing his struggle with food addiction as well as the physical limitations he experienced at his highest weight
To lose the weight, Jelly Roll worked with a medical team, chef and sports <a href="https://healthylife7.com/applied-nutrition-shares-drop-as-investors-cash-in-on-rampant-growth/” title=”Applied Nutrition shares drop as investors cash in on rampant growth”>nutritionist while focusing on his diet, exercise and mental health. He also began treating his relationship with food as an addiction, drawing on his experience in recovery from cocaine, codeine and alcohol addiction
Although he has repeatedly said he did not rely on GLP-1 medications for his transformation, he later clarified that he briefly tried weight-loss medication early in his journey before stopping after two weeks
Jelly Roll’s comments come months after his former wife, Bunnie Xo, opened up about her own experience with a GLP-1. In February, Bunnie, 46, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, told People that she experienced suicidal ideation while taking the medication
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“Honestly, I just went through a bout of suicidal ideation from using a GLP-1,” she said, adding that December 2025 was “one of the darkest times” of her life
Bunnie said she began taking GLP-1 medication because both of her parents had diabetes and she had struggled with her insulin levels
Jelly Roll and Bunnie met backstage at one of his concerts in Las Vegas in 2015 and married at a courthouse the following year. Bunnie became stepmother to Jelly Roll’s daughter, Bailee, and son, Noah, and the couple renewed their vows in 2023
After nearly a decade of marriage, Jelly Roll filed for divorce in Tennessee in May, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in July
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988
