Jelly Roll has claimed that employees at a Louis Vuitton location in Sydney, Australia, treated him “like a criminal” while he was browsing.
In a since-expired social media post, the 40-year-old singer — whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord —spoke about the way he was treated in the store, claiming the staff were looking at him like he was about to “rob” the designer store.
“Hey man, the Louis Vuitton in Sydney, legitimately just treated us like we were finna come in and rob that place,” he told his followers Wednesday. “I have never been looked at more like a crim... Listen, the last time I was looked at like a criminal this bad... I was an actual criminal this bad.”
The Independent has reached out to representatives for Louis Vuitton for comment.
The rapper had numerous run-ins with the law before he shot to fame and has been open about his criminal past. He was first arrested at 14, and two years later was charged as an adult for aggravated robbery, serving more than a year in prison, followed by seven years of probation.
“I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime,” Jelly Roll told Billboard in 2023. “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.”
He also reflected on his past while speaking at the 2023 Country Music Awards, telling the crowd that he needed to experience what he did to end up where he is today.
“I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for what I went through. I think it empowered me. I think it gave me my voice,” he said at the time. “It taught me a lot about overcoming. It taught me a lot about changing and the ability to change.”
In addition to the rapper’s first arrest, Jelly Roll has been to jail around 40 times for various drug charges, which prevented him from traveling internationally for tours until recently.
“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,” he said in an interview with Jon Bon Jovi for Interview magazine last year.
“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,” he added. “We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor.”
