Who Is Jelly Roll's Wife, Bunnie XO?
After years of plugging away on YouTube and the independent scene, Jason Bradley DeFord, aka country rap rocker Jelly Roll, finally achieved his mainstream breakthrough in the summer of 2023 when his seventh studio effort, "Whitsitt Chapel," reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. But the Tennessean didn't make the journey alone.
Indeed, since the mid-2010s, Jelly Roll has been supported in his career endeavors by a woman who goes by the mysterious name of Bunnie XO. You may well have the seen the blond join the star on the red carpet during his appearance at the 2023 CMT Music Awards. But she's now becoming a famous face in her very own right.
From her beginnings as an escort and "Dumb Blonde" podcast success to her role as a stepmom and her dreams of building a Jelly Roll/Bunnie XO empire, here's a look at her intriguing and eventful life story so far.
Bunnie XO first met Jelly Roll in 2015
Bunnie XO first clapped eyes on her future husband Jelly Roll in 2015 when she attended a Las Vegas performance of his at Sin City's Country Saloon. And according to the "Need a Favor" singer, it was pretty much love at first sight.
"We hit it off," Jelly Roll told Taste of Country in 2022. "She said she fell in love with the saddest eyes in the room." The Tennessean then revealed that Bunnie was with an abusive boyfriend at the time but broke things off shortly after. And he also refuted any talk that she made a beeline for him simply because of his money.
The multiple CMT Awards winner said, "It just tickles me pink because when I met her, I was homeless living out of a '96 conversion van. If anyone was digging for gold, it was I, Popeye. I was the one that was over here searching. I was couch surfing and made it to the bedroom."
The blond influencer has a hit podcast
Jelly Roll has appeared on everything from "The Joe Rogan Show" and "Bussin' with the Boys" to "Nu Pod with Joshua Toomey & Ro Kohli" and "This Past Weekend" during his rise to fame. But he's not the only one in his marriage to have podcast experience. In fact, Bunnie XO even has her very own.
Yes, "Dumb Blonde" has been going since 2019 and sees Bunnie quiz a whole host of famous faces about sex, relationships, social media, and more. Britney Spears' very brief first husband Jason Alexander, former Playboy bunny Holly Madison, and "Teen Mom" star Kailyn Lowry are just a few of the names who've dared to be quizzed by the woman described as the "degenerate love child of Dolly Parton and Dr. Ruth."
And Bunnie has also managed to rope in her other half to add "Dumb Blonde" to his list of podcast credits. In 2023, the "Son of a Sinner" hitmaker appeared on the episode "Jelly Roll Makes History," where he discussed everything from the CMT Awards and psychedelic substances to what he gets up to under the covers with the host. Earlier that year, Bunnie revealed on Instagram that her podcast had been downloaded 1.7 million times in January alone. She told her listeners, "I love y'all so mushhh. The broken little girl inside me heals every day because of each and everyone of you."
She is a great stepmother
In 2008, Jelly Roll became a father for the first time with his then-girlfriend Felicia following the birth of daughter Bailee Ann. Unfortunately, the country rapper was serving one of his many stints in prison at the time. But several years later, and with the help of future wife Bunnie XO, he managed to gain custody.
And the "Save Me" hitmaker remains eternally grateful for the role his wife played in this development. Alongside a photo of Bunnie and Bailee posted on Facebook in 2020, Jelly Roll wrote, "It takes a special kind of woman to raise a kid that isn't her child and still treat the child as if she was. Over the years watching her relationship with Bailee blossom into this beautiful mother-daughter bond that it has become has been nothing short of magical."
The Tennessean, who also has a son, Noah, from a previous relationship, went on to gush, "I have truly been blessed with the best partner I could've asked for in life. You are the epitome of a good mom and deserve more credit than anyone because you didn't have to step up to the plate the way you did."
Bunnie XO is equally proud of her man
In 2023, Jelly Roll stole the show at the 2023 CMT Music Awards when he picked up Breakthrough Male Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year, and Digital-First Performance of the Year. And his wife Bunnie XO, who was at Austin's Moody Center to see him make several acceptance speeches, couldn't have been prouder.
Following the triumphant night, the podcaster took to Instagram to express her joy at seeing Jelly Roll receive so much acclaim from an industry that once shunned him. She wrote, "You my sweet other half, are just that. A man that was told no every corner he turned only to hit 'em with that Nashville shuck and come out on top every time. I always tell you you have a horseshoe stuck up your a**, but that isn't it baby."
Perhaps getting a little carried away, Bunnie then essentially claimed that Jelly Roll's awards success would see him go down in history as a pioneer: "This is sheer will to spread light, to move mountains, to touch broken souls with your voice, to break generational traumas and set examples for the future. In short, you are the game changer papas. You were sent here to destroy stereotypes and blaze the trail for all the have nots."
The couple had a whirlwind wedding
There are whirlwind weddings, and then there are whirlwind weddings. In 2016, Jelly Roll once again proved that he doesn't do things by halves when he asked his girlfriend Bunnie XO for her hand in marriage at a Yelawolf show in Las Vegas.
Luckily, for the "Dead Man Walking" singer, she said "yes." Whether she knew exactly what she was getting herself into remains to be seen, though. As within just a few hours, the couple had turned their engagement celebration into a wedding one.
That's right: The very same night that Jelly Roll made his very public proposal, he and Bunnie headed to a courthouse to tie the knot. The pair said "I do" without any family members or friends in attendance. But their lightning quick approach to marriage obviously worked. In a chat with the "King and the Sting and the Wing Clips" podcast team, the country rapper said (via People), "We stuck it out. We were like the story nobody thought of. She's my best friend, man. She really is."
She loves getting deep with people
As you'd expect from the host of the remarkably candid "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bunnie XO likes nothing more than watching people peeling back their layers. In a 2023 Instagram post, the star reeled off a list of things she gets a kick out of. And they all essentially involved displays of genuine emotion.
"I love when people are crying and cannot be anything but honest in that moment," began the podcaster whose words were accompanied by a photo which was revealing in a very different way. "I love the look in people's eyes when they realize they are in love. I love the way people look when they first wake up and they've forgotten their surrounding."
Bunnie then added that she also enjoys seeing people gasp when their favorite fictional character meets their maker and when people initially forget where they are after waking from their slumber. She added, "I fall in love with honest moments all the time ... Honesty is just too beautiful to ever put into words."
Bunnie XO used to be an escort
Before finding fame as a podcaster and as the other half of country rapper Jelly Roll, Bunnie XO used to make ends meet as an escort. But not just any ordinary escort. The star would often earn more in one evening than many people earn in a year.
Speaking on her own "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bunnie revealed (via Whiskey Riff), "Literally I would make $30, $40,000 a night. I had sugar daddies who gave me half a million dollars. I've had cars bought for me. Just, diamonds, jewelry, just whatever you can think of dude."
Bunnie was keen to point out that her choice of profession wasn't anything to do with a drug habit and that she never blurred the boundaries between her work and personal life. And she also spoke about how accepting her husband has been about the issue: "When we got into a relationship together, I told him, I was like you know, 'You're going to be scrutinized for what I do for a living.' And he was like, 'You know what baby? I don't give a f***.' He's like, 'I love you, we're going to ride this s*** out together.'"
Becoming a stepmother made her quit the escort life
Bunnie XO didn't quit the escort lifestyle that regularly saw her earn up to $40,000 in a single night just because she entered into a relationship with Jelly Roll. No, the podcaster said goodbye to the world's oldest profession when she became stepmother to his young daughter Bailee.
"The only reason why I really wanted out of the lifestyle — because I made so much f***ing money that it was like, I didn't see an end in sight because I was pretty much a slave to the money," Bunnie explained in an episode of her own "Dumb Blonde" podcast (via Whiskey Riff). "There's a little girl who came into my life and she stole my heart and I don't want her to feel like she ever has to sell her body to support herself."
Bailee also inspired her father to change his life, as he told "The Joe Rogan Experience." Referring to the moment he learned about her birth while serving time in prison, the "Wheels Fall Off" singer said, "It's like a Damascus Road experience in the Bible. I immediately ... was like I've got to do something. I've got to quit this s***. I've got to figure it out."
Bunnie XO saved Jelly Roll from one of his darkest times
In 2023, Jelly Roll took to Instagram for another public outpouring of love for his wife of seven years. And this time around, the country rapper revealed that Bunnie XO had saved him from one of the darkest times of his life.
The "I'm On It" singer didn't go into details about exactly what this darkest time was. But he did go on to argue that his wife's story is far more worthy of glorifying than his own. He wrote, "To watch what this woman has overcame and her passion and determination to be something better has inspired me from the moment I met her ... She has been nothing but supportive."
It's a sentiment shared by Bunnie herself who later that same year posted an Instagram Story in which she spoke (via Yahoo! Movies) lovingly about how they both care for each other: "He's my end game. I don't want to do life [with] anyone else. So, no matter what we have to go thru and what we've already been through. That's my guy. Forevs."
The model plans to build a media empire
Bunnie XO may have racked up 1.1 million Instagram followers and launched one of the most candid celebrity podcasts out there. But she certainly isn't intending to stop there. Indeed, the former escort appears to be gradually building up her own media empire.
As well as continuing to host her "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bunnie has also helped create "Meet the DeFords," a family vlog which documents how she and husband Jelly Roll balance their busy careers with being parents. And she harbors an ambition to host her own radio show, too. In fact, Bunnie has become such a big name that she's now able to stage her own meet and greets on her husband's tour.
Yes, fans who bought tickets to see Jelly Roll on his 2023 "Backroads Baptism" trek could also pay for the pleasure of being introduced to his other half. "I'll be crashing as many of them as I can," the "Hate Goes On" singer joked on Instagram in a post celebrating his wife. Bunnie had previously teased the announcement on her own TikTok account, remarking, "So, every night that J has a concert, I get a lot of you tagging me upset that I'm not there. Just want you guys to know that your girl is preserving her energy for the next four months."
Bunnie XO gets on well with Jelly Roll's exes
In 2023, Bunnie XO took to Facebook to introduce her followers to Melisa, the mother of her second stepchild. Noah was born in 2016, the same year that the "Dumb Blonde" podcast host walked down the aisle with Jelly Roll. And it seems like she has nothing but love for her co-parent.
Bunnie wrote, "She's one stand up chick and we couldn't imagine our lives without her — she holds it down for baby Noah and us especially because we are on the road so much. It takes a village to raise these babies and luckily, we have her as a part of the family. Love you girl!"
The former escort explained that she decided to pay tribute to Melisa as it was only fair she got some of the love that had been dished out to the mother of Jelly Roll's firstborn, Bailee. Felicia had previously appeared on Bunnie's hit podcast where she discussed her drug addiction recovery, the 18 months she spent away from her daughter, and the custody case that followed. The host told her guest how proud she was to see that she made it through the other side and that she's glad that they are both now part of each other's lives.
She made a dying fan's wish come true
Bunnie XO proved that she had a heart of gold in 2023 when she learned about a dying fan of her husband Jelly Roll, whose wish was to meet the country rapper. The "Dumb Blonde" podcaster teamed up with nonprofit The James Bess Foundation to arrange a visit to Suzanne Durham, a 65-year-old who'd been diagnosed with stage four cancer.
And the meeting proved to have a profound effect on the former escort, as she revealed in a video uploaded to Facebook. She said, "When I tell you it was chicken soup for the soul and everything I needed at that moment, God really works in mysterious ways, because just seeing this woman that has been given, I believe, five months to live, who has spent her entire life trying to help other people ... that's what life is all about."
Bunnie then spoke of how she wants to be remembered herself, reminding viewers that no one knows exactly when they're going to die, adding: "If you want to waste your time spreading toxicity and dwelling on things that don't f***ing matter and don't inspire people, I would much rather inspire people than impress people. I want to leave here with people being like, 'Dude. She touched my life. She helped me out of a dark spot.'" That appears to be one of her missions in life, one she's dedicated to.
She wants a traditional wedding the second time around
"We got married kind of randomly," Jelly Roll told podcast "King and the Sting and the Wing Clips" (via People) about his 2016 whirlwind wedding with Bunnie XO. "It was Vegas, right? So. it's like 11 o'clock. They're closing the joint down by Hard Rock [Cafe] and I'm like, 'F*** it. Let's just go now.' She's like, 'The courthouse is open for about 34 to 44 more minutes.' I was like, 'Let's f***ing roll.'"
It doesn't sound like the most romantic of occasions, which perhaps explains why seven years later, the pair revealed they were going to renew their wedding vows. And this time around, they would do things the more traditional way. Well, semi-traditional.
On an Instagram Story, Bunnie asked for help (via Taste of Country) from some of her "bride-savvvy" followers who could help her with a very specific request: "I'm going to wear a real wedding dress since I didn't the first time we got married in that little chapel in Vegas. I'm having the hardest time finding an all nude-colored wedding dress ... Helpppppp, weddings are not my thing, haha."
Bunnie XO is loving life in her 40s
Bunnie XO, whose real name is Alyssa, was born in Houston, Texas9 in 1980, meaning that she's six years Jelly Roll's senior, and now well into her 40s. But when it comes to age, the "Dumb Blonde" podcaster believes it's nothing but a number.
In a 2019 Facebook post, Bunnie confirmed that she'd be turning the big 4-0 the following January, a milestone that she was looking forward to: "I feel fantastic! I embrace it with open arms. I'll be a hot f***in' grandma one day, still half naked as long as it looks good, cussing and being as feisty as I am now. I'll never conform to society's 'standards' or be made to feel a certain way because of age. I've busted down all those walls and will continue to do so."
The former escort also told her followers that she would never want to revisit the ages of 21, or indeed 31, again, adding that all of her life's experiences made her who she is today.