Jelly Roll has filed for divorce from his wife, Bunnie XO, after nearly 10 years of marriage. The country singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, filed the motion in Tennessee.
Bunnie XO is officially named Alisa Andrea DeFord. The couple separated in May before the divorce filing was made. Jelly Roll filed the motion on May 18, nine days after they separated.
The couple eloped in Las Vegas in August 2016. Bunnie later became stepmother to Jelly Roll’s two children, Bailee and Noah. Their split came as a surprise to many fans.
The pair had often spoken warmly about each other in public. Just months earlier, they attended the Grammy Awards together. Jelly Roll also thanked Bunnie during an emotional awards speech.
He gave the speech after accepting Best Contemporary Country Album. The public moment made the later split more unexpected for supporters. However, court documents later revealed the formal reasons behind the divorce.
Singer hired high-profile divorce lawyer
Jelly Roll has hired Rose Palermo to oversee the divorce proceedings. Palermo is known for representing public figures in high-profile celebrity separations. Her previous clients include Billy Ray Cyrus, Kristin Cavallari and Maren Morris.
She represented Billy Ray Cyrus during his divorce from Firerose. She also worked with Kristin Cavallari during her split from Jay Cutler. Maren Morris also used Palermo during her marriage split from Ryan Hurd.
According to court documents, Jelly Roll asked for a Marital Dissolution Agreement. That agreement would allow an equitable division of the couple’s assets. It means property and debts would be divided fairly, not necessarily equally.
The couple reportedly own a Nashville-based mansion together. Their property also includes a 500-acre farm outside the city. The divorce could involve decisions about those shared assets and debts.
Bunnie has not issued a direct statement about the divorce. However, she has posted several cryptic comments on social media. Fans have interpreted some of those posts as references to the split.
Bunnie shared cryptic online posts
In one Instagram post, Bunnie said she was “getting her sparkle back.” Many followers viewed that caption as a sign she was moving forward emotionally. The post came after reports of the couple’s separation.
Bunnie also shared a video of herself walking past two garbage cans. The camera zoomed in on the bins during the clip. Text on the video read: “I hate when my exes ruin a good shot.”
She captioned the post with a trash emoji. The post led to more speculation about her feelings after the split. She also posted a TikTok that drew attention from followers.
In that video, she pulled a suspicious expression while adding text over the clip. The text read: “Women’s intuition when that shii don’t add up.” Some fans suggested it hinted at further issues behind the divorce.
The couple’s marriage had unusual beginnings compared with many public relationships. Both later built successful careers during their time together. Jelly Roll became a country artist, while Bunnie became a media personality.
Couple had unconventional beginnings
Bunnie has previously discussed the early years of their relationship. In her book, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, she wrote about their backgrounds. She said they were not a traditional bride and groom.
“I think a lot of people need to realize that coming into this marriage, we weren’t a traditional bride and groom,” she wrote.
“I was a working girl, and he was an ex-drug dealer – a gangster-turned-struggling artist.”
Money from Bunnie’s earlier career helped support Jelly Roll’s early music work. It also helped fund his legal battle for custody of his daughter. Her earnings later helped launch her Dumb Blonde podcast.
Bunnie had previously worked as a high-end escort in Las Vegas. She also worked as an adult entertainer before building a large OnlyFans page. She retired from OnlyFans in 2023.
Jelly Roll cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce. He also said they were unable to live together successfully as husband and wife. Reports have suggested their future goals had become increasingly different.
A source said Jelly Roll had changed a lot since meeting Bunnie. The source said there was no single moment where everything fell apart. They said the couple still loved each other but were no longer aligned.
“There wasn’t a moment where everything fell apart. They still love each other but were no longer on the same page about certain things, including what they wanted their future to look like,” the source said.
“People saw the public side of things, but there was a lot more going on privately.”
Featured image credit: @xomgitsbunnie/Instagram
