Jelly Roll’s daughter, Bailee Ann, delivered a highly amusing response when her father completely shaved off his signature beard.
In a YouTube vlog posted on Thursday, November 20, the “I Am Not Okay” singer, 40, announced he was ready for a new look. The seven-time Grammy nominee began by reflecting on his recent weight loss journey: “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 realize things.”
He admitted the beard had previously served a specific purpose. “One of the things I realized is I don’t know what I look like. I’ve had a beard to try to cover up my double chin — which I still am clearly going to have a double chin,” he said. The musician expressed apprehension about the dramatic change, noting his last clean shave was when he was released from prison. “I got a feeling I’m going to look like a Ninja Turtle, but I’m going to shave my f—ing face and go surprise my family,” he explained.
Jelly Roll told viewers he had only informed his wife, Bunnie Xo, of his decision, adding, “My daughter’s going to see me without a beard for the first time ever.”
After Bunnie filmed the shaving process, Jelly Roll entered the kitchen to surprise his 17-year-old daughter, Bailee Ann (whom he shares with a previous partner). Bailee reacted with hilariously shocked horror, collapsing into laughter. “Stay over there,” she demanded, laughing through her tears as her father chuckled off-camera.
“Oh my God, I’m going to cry. I don’t like this,” Bailee confessed. “You look like a turtle. I don’t like this. Oh my God. I don’t know if I’m laughing or if this is … “
The country star later resumed the vlog outdoors on his Tennessee farm. “Oh, what’s up, y’all? By now, you have probably figured out that I look like a Ninja Turtle,” he joked. He reiterated his original motivation: “One of the reasons I even started growing a beard was cause I was so obese. It was just easier to cover up what was happening here.”
The musician concluded the video by expressing profound gratitude for his three Grammy nominations that year, which include nods for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen.”
“But then I just see standing there is this album called Beautifully Broken,” he said, reflecting on his success. “Man, if that doesn’t represent what’s happening in the world right now… I think we can find beauty in what’s happening. And uh, win lose or draw, holy f— dude. We won. That’s how I feel. I’ve already won.” He concluded by confirming that celebrating the nominations with his team was victory enough, congratulating fellow nominees Tyler Childers and Kelsea Ballerini.
