Jelly Roll Thought People 'Only Drank to Do Cocaine': 'It Took Me a Long Time to Learn'

Jelly Roll learned his lesson about drugs and alcohol the hard way.

In a new interview published Wednesday, December 13, the "Save Me" singer opened up about his past relationship with cocaine and how he'd poorly pair it with alcohol every time he drank.

"I had to learn that you could drink alcohol without doing cocaine. It took me a long time to learn that," Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, admitted to a news publication. "I've never said that, but that's real. There was a long time where I just assumed, when people told me they drank without doing cocaine, I was like, 'I thought we only drank to do cocaine.'"

"I thought [drinking] was to make us not feel like drug addicts," the 39-year-old — who has been to jail upwards of 40 times for a variety of drug charges — continued. "Nobody wants to snort cocaine sober, then you're a drug addict. But I had to re-look at my relationship with alcohol like that."

While Jelly Roll is in a much better place when it comes to consuming substances, he hasn't fully crossed over into a completely sober lifestyle.

"I never really had a problem with alcohol, so I'll still have a cocktail, but very, especially this year, very seldomly," he explained. "Like, special night kind of stuff."

For example, Jelly roll said on "the night of the CMAs, of course we partied," as he had a lot to celebrate after winning New Artist of the Year at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards last month.

"I just try to stay away from drugs," he clarified.

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Although he hasn't chosen to ditch alcohol or marijuana at the moment, Jelly Roll still shows up to AA meetings from time to time to make sure he remains on the right track.

The dad-of-one detailed: "I've never talked about this in interviews, but because I do drink and smoke weed, I will attend meetings occasionally. If I'm really struggling with thinking of my behavioral pattern, I'll go to a meeting."

"I just — out of an abundance of respect for the people who really got off the drugs completely, and the alcohol and the weed — don't necessarily claim to be a part of the program, because I respect their work and I would never want to diminish it with some of my actions, but AA has done a lot for me," Jelly Roll expressed.

Looking back on his roller-coaster ride of a life thus far, the "Wild Ones" hitmaker concluded: "I've made a lot of peace with my past. I mean, it still haunts me like the ghosts I know, but I tell you what, I don't think about doing no drugs today. As far as today goes, I don't know about tomorrow, but I can tell you, today, right now, I'm happy."

People spoke to Jelly Roll about his changed relationship with cocaine and alcohol.