Jelly Roll has filed for divorce from his wife Bunnie XO, ending their nearly decade-long marriage, according to court records obtained by TMZ. The filing was made on May 18 in Williamson County, Tennessee. Neither has commented publicly on the split. Hours before the news broke on June 15, Bunnie posted a cryptic Instagram Story with the caption “She’s getting her sparkle back” alongside a lingerie photo.
The divorce landed weeks after a string of public revelations, an acknowledged affair, infertility struggles, a Grammy win where Jelly Roll called Bunnie the reason he did not end up “dead or in jail,” and a memoir that laid bare every difficult chapter of their marriage.
Who are Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO?
Jelly Roll, real name Jason Bradley DeFord, is a 41-year-old country and rap crossover artist from Nashville, Tennessee. Before music, he spent years cycling in and out of jail on charges including drug possession, dealing, and aggravated robbery. His record was cleared as of 2025.
His rise in music is one of the more unlikely stories in recent country history. His 2022 single “Son of a Sinner” reached No. 1 and launched him into mainstream country. At the 2026 Grammy Awards, he took home three awards: Best Contemporary Country Album, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song with Brandon Lake, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Shaboozey.
Bunnie XO, real name Alisa DeFord, is a 46-year-old podcast host, author, and media personality. She hosts the Dumb Blonde podcast and published her memoir Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic in February 2026. She was previously a sex worker and decided to leave the industry in 2023, years after they married. She is stepmother to Jelly Roll’s daughter Bailee, 17, and son Noah, 9, both from previous relationships.
How Did Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO Meet?
The pair met in 2015 at one of Jelly Roll’s early shows at the Country Saloon in Las Vegas. At the time, Jelly Roll was broke, living out of a conversion van. Bunnie was working as a high-end escort. When she spotted him, she later recalled Howard Stern being instantly drawn to him because he had “the saddest eyes in the room” and looked like a “project.”
They got married a year later in a secret courthouse ceremony in Las Vegas, without telling friends or family. In August 2023, seven years after their impromptu courthouse wedding, they returned to the same Las Vegas chapel. This time, Jelly Roll finally saw Bunnie in a traditional wedding dress, symbolizing how far they had come from their chaotic beginnings.
What Was the Affair That Almost Ended Their Marriage?
Bunnie’s memoir details a 10-month affair Jelly Roll carried out with another woman in 2018. This happened roughly three years into their marriage.
“When I found out about it, I was devastated,” Bunnie told Fox News Digital in February. “I was hurt because I didn’t think he would be the one person to do that. I thought he was different. And at that moment, my heart was broken.”
Bunnie said she considered suicide after discovering the infidelity.
Jelly Roll publicly acknowledged the affair in October 2025 on the Human School Podcast, calling it “one of the worst moments of his adulthood.” Bunnie XO defended her decision to return to the marriage at the time, saying: “It actually takes a stronger woman to confront pain directly, put in the effort, and rebuild with the man she loves.”
He said on the podcast: “I wish our story would’ve went in the way that it never had an affair … but man, I’m proud of who we are today. I truly am.”
Four months later, he filed for divorce.
What Happened in the Months Before the Divorce?
February 2026: Jelly Roll and Bunnie attended the 68th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, showing public affection on the red carpet and inside the venue. During his acceptance speech for Best Contemporary Country Album, Jelly Roll said: “I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you. I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus.”
Also in February, Bunnie shared on Instagram that she was hoping to have twins via surrogate.
March 2026: On a March 2025 episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast, Bunnie had said: “We don’t have a surrogate for any other reason besides the fact that I just cannot carry a child myself. There’s too much risk.” She added later: “If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be. And if not, we can always adopt.”
May 18, 2026: Jelly Roll filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tennessee.
June 15, 2026: A moving truck was spotted outside the couple’s Tennessee estate, with workers removing items from the property. Hours later, the divorce news became public.
What Was the “Disturbing Accusation” Before the Divorce?
Weeks before the divorce filing became public, Jelly Roll was accused of suffering from “religious psychosis” following his Grammy Awards acceptance speech in February 2026, where he praised Jesus at length. Critics mocked the speech online, with some calling it performative and embarrassing. Jelly Roll did not respond to the criticism publicly.
This was not a criminal accusation. It was a social media and commentary backlash to his Grammy speech, which, by February, his marriage was already privately unraveling.
Is the Divorce Mutual?
Sources told TMZ the divorce was a mutual decision and a private family matter. Neither Jelly Roll nor Bunnie XO has issued a statement. The couple will continue co-parenting Bailee and Noah, both from previous relationships.
Bunnie’s Instagram caption, “She’s getting her sparkle back,” is the closest either has come to acknowledging the split publicly.
What is Jelly Roll Doing Now?
Jelly Roll is currently on the 2026 leg of Post Malone’s Big Ass Stadium Tour. He performed his first show of the 2026 tour on June 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He has not addressed the divorce or paused public activity.
What Has Bunnie XO Said?
Bunnie has not commented directly on the divorce. Her February memoir, Stripped Down, covered the affair and their full relationship history in detail. She told People earlier this year: “When you are with somebody for a long time, you are going to have to love them at their lowest. And I truly believe that everybody deserves a second chance. Loving somebody at their lowest is one of the most beautiful things you can do, especially if they bloom and they blossom like my husband has.”
She said that before the divorce became public.
FAQs
When did Jelly Roll file for divorce?
Jelly Roll filed for divorce on May 18, 2026, in Williamson County, Tennessee, according to court records obtained by Billboard and first reported by TMZ.
Why did Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO divorce?
No official reason has been given. Sources described it as a mutual decision and a private family matter. The filing came months after Jelly Roll publicly acknowledged a 10-month affair from 2018 and the couple had been pursuing surrogacy together.
Do Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO have children together?
The couple will continue co-parenting their two children, Bailee, 15, and Noah, 7, both from previous relationships. They had been pursuing surrogacy but had not yet had a child together.
What is Bunnie XO’s real name?
Bunnie XO’s real name is Alisa DeFord.
What is Jelly Roll’s real name?
Jelly Roll’s real name is Jason Bradley DeFord.
How long were Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO married?
They married in August 2016, making their marriage nearly 10 years long at the time of the divorce filing.
Conclusion
Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO built their relationship on radical transparency, about his criminal past, her former career, the affair, the infertility struggles, the addiction, and the redemption. They talked about all of it publicly, in podcasts, interviews, memoirs, and Grammy speeches.
The divorce is the one thing they have kept quiet.
What the timeline shows is a couple who tried hard, very publicly, to hold things together, and then, privately, decided not to. The reasons belong to them.
