Judge Denies Grace Kelley’s Request for Temporary Release to Give Birth

A judge has denied Grace Kelley’s request for temporary release from prison so she could give birth to her second child, PEOPLE reported Aug. 27.

Kelley, the daughter of country singer Wynonna Judd, was expecting the baby around Aug. 16 and had requested a temporary release for a scheduled C-section. Her lawyer said Kelley would need to stay in bed for three days and argued that the procedure needed to take place in a sterile operating room. The request was denied during a July 16 hearing, which Kelley attended virtually.

Kelley is serving a 15-month sentence in Harrisonburg, Virginia, after pleading guilty to misdemeanor driving with a suspended or revoked license following her October 2025 arrest.

Kelley, who has a daughter named Kaliyah, born in 2022, has faced several legal problems over the years. She previously served prison time after a 2016 methamphetamine possession case and was later jailed for parole violations. She also had multiple arrests in 2024 involving charges including public lewdness, obstruction, drugged driving and petty larceny.

Judd currently has custody of Kaliyah. In a May 2025 interview, Judd said raising her granddaughter had taught her a great deal and helped her cope with the death of her mother, Naomi Judd, who died by suicide in 2022.

Kelley told PEOPLE in August 2025 that she was “at peace” with her past mistakes.