Jelly Roll says daughter Bailee is 'much smarter' than him aged 16
Jelly Roll was arrested at 16 and charged as an adult, but he thinks Bailee will not make the same mistakes.
Jelly Roll has warned his daughter not to "weaponise" his past in arguments.
The 'Wild Ones' singer - who has been open about his previous problems with the law - has endured multiple stints behind bars after being arrested almost 50 times in his younger days and while he thinks 16-year-old Bailee DeFord is "totally ahead" of where he was at the same age, he isn't afraid to have frank conversations with her and insisted he will always "judge" her according to her actions.
Referencing a recent conversation with the teenager, Jelly - whose real name is Jason DeFord - told People magazine: "[I said], ‘I don’t judge you based on what you do. I judge you based on what I know you’re capable of.
“‘You’re so much smarter than I was at 16. You’re so much better, so much more emotionally intelligent. You can read a room so much better. So don’t try to talk your way out of getting in trouble, Miss Sassy, by weaponising my past.’
"When I look at what she does that I consider horrible, I look back at what I was doing at 16, and I’m like, ‘Oh man …’ When I’m hard on her about stuff or a little pushy, she knows it’s from love."
The 39-year-old country singer and his wife Bunnie XO have had custody of Bailee since 2017 due to his former partner Felicia Beckwith's struggles with addiction.
And the 'Son of a Sinner' hitmaker insisted his fame hasn't changed the teenager or his relationship with her.
He said: "We were really, really close before it exploded, but she understands what it’s doing for her future and the family’s future.
“She’s a really hammered down kid. She’s been in the same public school district for 10 years and had the same friends since me and Bunnie have had custody of her.
"I think a lot of that has helped."
Bailee herself recently appeared on her stepmom's podcast, 'Dumb Blonde', and told the 44-year-old host - whose real name is Alyssa DeFord - that she and her old friends are not bothered by her dad's fame.
She said: "We're all kinda used to it. He's come to football games, and whatever. So I think everybody's kind of over that 'Oh, my God.'
"And, also, people are kinda just know not to f*** with me. I'm just not the one. So it's pretty easy. Other than that, making new friendships is hard, but I just don't do that anymore."
