Jelly Roll filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 10 years, Bunnie Xo, on May 18, 2026, in Williamson County, Tennessee, according to PEOPLE. The country star, born Jason DeFord, cited irreconcilable differences, with the couple’s date of separation listed as May 9, 2026.
Perez Hilton, reflecting on the surprise split, pointed to a detail from earlier in the month as a sign that may have gone unnoticed at the time. In his blog, Hilton wrote,
“Earlier this month on June 6, the singer performed at CMA Fest… he performed without wearing his wedding ring”
He also wrote that the missing ring was “pretty obvious, looking back” as an indicator the marriage was ending.
More about Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo’s split after a decade long marriage
TMZ reported on June 15, 2026, that sources described the divorce as a mutual decision and a private family matter. The outlet also obtained photos of a moving truck outside the couple’s Tennessee home, suggesting the separation was moving quickly.
Perez Hilton noted that Bunnie Xo had been posting cryptic videos and appeared to be throwing shade following the announcement, though he acknowledged it remains unclear what specifically led to the split.
PEOPLE reported that Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, met in 2015 at one of his concerts at a Las Vegas venue called Country Saloon. After dating for about a year, he proposed on stage in 2016, and the two secretly married in a courthouse ceremony that same night without telling friends or family. They later renewed their vows at the same Las Vegas chapel in 2023.
TMZ noted that one week before their original wedding, Jelly Roll had welcomed a son with another woman.
A relationship with a documented history of ups and downs
The couple had spoken candidly about previous difficulties in their marriage. PEOPLE reported that Jelly Roll admitted in October 2025 on the Human School podcast that an affair early in their relationship was “one of the worst moments of my adulthood,” though he said he was ultimately grateful for how their story unfolded.
Bunnie Xo addressed the same period in her 2026 memoir, “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic,” revealing that Jelly had cheated on her for 10 months in 2018 and that the two had briefly separated for about 30 days before reconciling.
In her memoir, Bunnie also described the couple’s approach to monogamy, writing that their relationship operated on a philosophy that “we aren’t each other’s possessions and consider our relationship to be free, not open.”
Despite the rocky history, the two had continued to express public devotion to one another, including at the 2026 Grammy Awards in February, where Jelly Roll tearfully thanked his wife while accepting the award for Best Contemporary Country Album, crediting her with helping him turn his life around.
Their hopes for a family
The split comes as the couple had recently discussed plans to grow their family. PEOPLE reported that Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo had spoken at length about their struggles with IVF and had reportedly found a surrogate, hoping to welcome twins.
Bunnie told PEOPLE in January 2026 that the process had not been easy but that she trusted things would work out. Jelly Roll is already a father to daughter Bailee, 18, and son Noah, 9, from previous relationships, both of whom Bunnie had embraced in her role as stepmother.
At the time of press, there are no further details on the split.
Edited by Devangee Halder
