Jelly Roll became emotional and spoke boldly about God following Bear Bailey’s performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” during the second episode of Netflix’s “Star Search” reboot.
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has become increasingly vocal about his faith in Jesus over the past couple of years.
When he was 18, Jelly Roll spent time in jail for aggravated robbery and then again in his 20s for intent to distribute illegal drugs. In 2016, he married Alyssa DeFord, who left the sex industry in 2023. Jelly Roll and his wife have full custody of his two children from previous relationships. In 2025, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee pardoned Jelly Roll of his crimes.
In February 2025, Jelly Roll joined Christian music superstar Brandon Lake for a new version of Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” The collaboration went on to win Song of the Year at both the K-LOVE Fan Awards and the Dove Awards. It has also been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category.
RELATED: Brandon Lake Defends Collaboration With Jelly Roll: ‘I Don’t Know What Bible Somebody Is Reading’
In February 2025, Jelly Roll joined Christian music superstar Brandon Lake for a new version of Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” The collaboration went on to win Song of the Year at both the K-LOVE Fan Awards and the Dove Awards. It has also been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song category.
“Star Search,” a variety talent show that debuted in 1983 and aired for more than 10 years, paved the way for competition shows such as “American Idol,” “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent.” Before becoming household names, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, LeAnn Rimes, Alanis Morissette, Kevin James, Dave Chappelle, Sinbad, Adam Sandler, the Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Drew Carey and Ray Romano all competed on the original series in hopes of becoming stars.
Judges for Netflix’s “Star Search” include Jelly Roll, Chrissy Teigen, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Actor and comedian Anthony Anderson hosts Netflix’s reboot, duties that belonged to the late Ed McMahon during the shows first run.
Anthony Anderson Describes Contestant Performance: ‘[It] Turned the Sinner Into a Saint’
Following Bailey’s performance, Anderson told him that he had just taken the host to church and “turned the sinner into a saint.”
Anderson shared that Bailey chose to sing “Hard Fought Hallelujah” before knowing that Jelly Roll would be a judge on the show.
Bailey told the audience why he chose the song. “Because I’m a very imperfect person loved by a perfect God. Jesus has redeemed me, Jelly, of drug addiction. I’ve lost everything because of addictions, and I’m not perfect, but I serve a God who is,” he said. “I’m sorry for being emotional but I’m just thankful for God. I thank you Jesus.”
Anderson then attempted to get Jelly Roll’s reaction, but the 2023 Country Music Association New Artist of the Year was too emotional and began breaking down in tears.
Jelly Roll Asked God for an Opportunity To Talk About Jesus
“I prayed this morning. I said, ‘God, give me an opportunity to talk about you,’” Jelly Roll said. Having a hard time saying the words through the tears, he continued, “I said, ‘God, night one was great, but I didn’t get to live on my purpose yet, God, you called me here to talk about you.’”
“And what I just seen was a room full of people—they might not have ever felt it before—but that is called the Holy Spirit of God. Let me tell you something about the Holy Spirit of God,” Jelly Roll preached. “He don’t care anything about your past. He doesn’t care what you’ve been through. He doesn’t care about your drug addiction. He is your father. He is here to Father you, to show you to be a father to those kids. He is here to pour life into you. He hung [on the cross] so you can stand here and sing his name on the biggest streaming service in the world, on night two of us being live on Netflix!”
