Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO over: Divorce after nearly decade
Jelly Roll — whose real name is Jason DeFord — filed for divorce from his podcaster wife, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, on May 18.
Jelly Roll and wife Bunnie XO are ending their marriage after nearly a decade.
The 41-year-old “Son of a Sinner” singer — whose real name is Jason DeFord — filed for divorce from his podcaster wife, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, on May 18, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY on Monday, June 15.
USA TODAY reached out to Jelly Roll and Bunnie’s representatives for comment. TMZ was first to report the news on June 15.
The couple, who married in 2016, has been frank about the ups and downs of their marriage, including family planning and infidelity.
After winning the Grammy for best contemporary country album in February, a Jelly Roll emotionally dedicated the trophy to Bunnie, who wept and applauded in the audience.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO survived cheating incident
In an October 2025 episode of the “Human School” podcast, Jelly Roll acknowledged: “One of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair on my wife.”
The couple put in “a lot of work to repair” their relationship, he added, noting they became “stronger than we could have ever been.” He did not offer any further details about the nature or timeline of the cheating, though he admitted that “I was hanging around a bunch of people that were cheating on their wives.”
Bunnie Xo opens up about her past and the journey to healthy marriage
USA TODAY Extra exclusive. Bunnie Xo shares how honesty and growth shaped her relationship with Jelly Roll in new book, “Stripped Down”
“I wish our story would’ve went in the way that it never had an affair, and I’m in a way glad it happened, but man, I’m proud of who we are today,” Jelly Roll said. “I truly am.”
Bunnie, 46, told fans on TikTok in 2024 that the pair briefly split in 2018.
“We finally committed to each other and did everything we promised each other the first night in 2016,” she wrote. “Our castle in the sand had to crumble so we could rebuild on solid ground.”
Bunnie XO, Jelly Roll had planned to welcome twins via IVF
The two have also been open since 2024 about welcoming more children into their family via in vitro fertilization. Jelly Roll has two children, 18-year-old Bailee Ann and 9-year-old Noah Buddy, from previous relationships.
In her book “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic,” which was published in February, Bunnie said she and Jelly Roll had found a surrogate and hoped to have twins.
“Now that we’re finally stable financially and somewhat emotionally after all the healing we’ve done over this decade together, we’re talking about the future — including growing our family,” she wrote. “We’re going to raise these babies in love and give them everything we were never given.”
