Jelly Roll Says He's Having Trouble Booking an International Tour 'Because of My Felonies'

"We're working on that. I think it's going to work in my favor," said Jelly, who's been to jail around 40 times for various drug charges

It's not easy for Jelly Roll to leave the United States.

In a new Interview Magazine conversation with Jon Bon Jovi, the 39-year-old country star opened up about why he's "not yet" toured internationally, telling the rock icon his past run-ins with the law are to blame.

"I’m so excited [to perform outside the United States]. We’re figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas," said Jelly.

Related: Jelly Roll Revisits Former Nashville Jail Cell: 'There Was a Time in My Life Where I Truly Thought This Is It'

"It’s funny, America has finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries won’t let me come because of my felonies," added the Grammy-nominated artist. "We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor."

Jelly doesn't seem to be too beat up about the issue, as he told Bon Jovi, "For the record I’m a kid from Antioch, Tennessee, whose father never left the southeastern region until he was in his 50s."

"I still have friends in Antioch who have never left," said the "Need a Favor" singer. "They’ve never seen a football game downtown—just watch the Titans on TV every Sunday. I’m like, 'You know the stadium is 18 minutes away, right? We can get a ticket for $10.'"

Related: Jelly Roll Reveals How He Found 'Peace' After Reconsidering His Relationship with Alcohol and Cocaine (Exclusive)

The musician, born Jason Bradley DeFord, has been to jail around 40 times for various drug charges. He was arrested for the first time at age 14, two years before he was arrested for aggravated robbery, charged as an adult and served over a year in prison — plus seven years' probation.

"I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime," he told Billboard last year. "This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did."

Before Jelly shot to fame over the past few years, earning three No. 1 country hits in 2023 alone, he worked to clean up his act and reevaluate his relationship with certain vices.

Related: Jelly Roll Opens Up About the Day He Found Out He Was a Dad — While Sitting in Prison (Exclusive)

“I had to learn that you could drink alcohol without doing cocaine. It took me a long time to learn that,” the "Son of a Sinner" performer told PEOPLE in December. “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.”

Despite never going to rehab for his drug addiction, Jelly now visits centers across the United States to spend time with people in recovery, bring warm meals and play music.

"I always said that if I ever got in this situation, I would do everything I could to give back," he said. "The fact that just me showing up places can make people happy is such a gift, and I feel like if God gave me that gift, I should show up."

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