Jelly Roll attributes his time spent in jail to his childhood. “In the beginning, I did a lot of drugs,” he told Billboard. “I drank a lot of codeine, a lot of cough syrup. I took a lot of Xanax, did a lot of cocaine, just really took it overboard.” He mentioned that his mother and his daughter’s mother, who both struggled with addiction, also took a toll on his life. “When you grow up in a middle- and lower-class community, no one sees the effects of drug abuse like those people,” he added.
He has also opened up about having anxiety, and how that affected his past life decisions. “I felt like nobody accepted me,” he told Audacy. “When you feel like nobody accepts you, there’s always that one group that will and it’s always the trouble.” He then added that a lot of his troubled past had to do with the fact that he had no support systems. “I feel like I might have made some crazy different life decisions if I could have sat down and felt vocal enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m leaning towards this because I don’t feel accepted anywhere else,'” he said.
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The singer also opened up to People about his experience in jail, recalling the “most impactful thing” and the “darkest moment” in his life was being 15 years old, and not being able to be with his family for the holidays.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
