The 41-year-old country star, whose real name is Jason DeFord, filed for divorce from Bunnie XO, born Alisa DeFord, on May 18 in Williamson County, Tennessee, according to court documents obtained by YoTainment and first reported by TMZ. Sources told TMZ that the decision was mutual and is being handled as a private family matter.
Despite the split, the pair are expected to continue co-parenting their children, Bailee and Noah, from previous relationships.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie tied the knot in 2016 and have never shied away from discussing the challenges they faced throughout their relationship. Over the years, they openly spoke about rebuilding trust, expanding their family, and working through difficult moments together.
Earlier this year, Jelly Roll delivered an emotional tribute to Bunnie while accepting the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Country Album. As he dedicated the honor to her, Bunnie was seen in the audience applauding through tears.
The couple’s journey included some highly publicized struggles. During an appearance on the “Human School” podcast in October 2025, Jelly Roll admitted that one of the biggest mistakes of his adult life was being unfaithful to his wife.
He explained that the experience forced them to confront serious issues in their marriage and put in significant effort to repair the damage. According to the singer, the process ultimately strengthened their relationship and helped them grow closer than ever before.
“I wish our story never included an affair,” he said at the time. “But I’m proud of who we became after everything we went through.”
Bunnie had also previously revealed that the couple briefly separated in 2018 before finding their way back to each other. Looking back, she described that period as a necessary step in rebuilding their relationship on a stronger foundation.
More recently, the pair had been making plans to grow their family. Since 2024, they had openly discussed their fertility journey and hopes of welcoming more children through IVF and surrogacy.
In her memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, released in February, Bunnie shared that they had found a surrogate and were hopeful about expanding their family with twins.
“Now that we’re finally stable financially and emotionally after everything we’ve worked through together, we’re talking about the future,” she wrote. “We’re going to raise these babies with love and give them the life we never had.”
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While news of the divorce may come as a surprise to many fans, it marks the end of a relationship that weathered public highs, personal struggles, and years of rebuilding together.
