Country music star Jelly Roll has filed for divorce from his wife, Bunnie Xo, ending a marriage that lasted nearly 10 years and frequently featured public discussions about faith, redemption and overcoming personal struggles.
According to court records obtained by TMZ, Jelly Roll, whose legal name is Jason DeFord, filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tennessee, on May 18. The filing reportedly came days after he separated from Bunnie Xo, whose real name Alisa DeFord.
The petition lists May 9 as the date of separation, TMZ reported. Photos published by the outlet this week also showed a moving truck outside the couple’s Tennessee home.
The divorce was described as a mutual decision, according to sources cited by TMZ.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo married in August 2016 after meeting in Las Vegas. Over the years, both have spoken publicly about the challenges they faced early in their relationship, including infidelity, addiction and mental health struggles.
Most recently, Jelly Roll praised Jesus while accepting awards at the Grammy Awards, where he also credited Jesus and his “beautiful wife” with changing his life. The singer won three awards, including Best Contemporary Country Album.
“I know they’re going to try to kick me off here, so just let me try to get this out. First of all, Jesus, I hear you, and I’m listening, Lord. I am listening, Lord,” the music artist said.
“I would have never changed my life without you. I’d have ended up dead or in jail. I’d have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that,” he said of his wife. “There was a time in my life, y’all, that I was broken. That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance, y’all. There was days that I thought the darkest things. I was a horrible human.”
After the speech, some social media users criticized his remarks, while others praised his public expression of faith.
During a Feb. 8 episode of her “Dumb Blonde” podcast, Bunnie Xo said “people are weaponizing the Bible and religion way more than they are celebrating the name of Jesus.”
The 46-year-old influencer referenced her memoir, Stripped Down Unfilteredand Unapologetic, which she said describes her reluctance to identify as a Christian because of the way some people who claimed to believe in Jesus behaved.
The book, which Bunnie Xo promoted on SiriusXM’s “The Nikki & Brie Show” in March, addresses the influencer’s time as a sex worker, her struggles with drug addiction and her eventual marriage to Jelly Roll.
During the interview, Bunnie Xo said when she started dating Jelly Roll, she made a conscious decision about what she wanted in a relationship, explaining that she had dated many bad men before meeting her husband.
Yet, she made it clear that she and her husband have faced many challenges that have threatened their marriage.
“Relationships are not easy. In the beginning, it was very rough. We were very toxic, and I did lose myself in the beginning of that relationship,” Bunnie Xo said. “And that’s why, when I hit rock bottom, in my book, I write about [what happened] after I discovered my husband had an affair on me for 10 months.
“I was holding a bottle of pills, and I was just like, ‘I could just kill myself right now and not have to feel this pain, because I’m just so tired of feeling so much pain through my life,’” she added.
After putting the pill bottle down, Bunnie Xo said she decided to build her own brand so she wouldn’t be seen only as Jelly Roll’s wife, believing she was “meant for more than that.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
