Country music artist Jelly Roll broke his silence regarding his divorce from Bunnie Xo during a concert performance in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Thursday, June 18, addressing speculation surrounding the end of their nearly decade-long marriage.
The 41-year-old singer used his stage time to directly confront rumors circulating online about the split, telling the audience that he would only discuss the matter once. In footage shared via his Instagram, Jelly Roll stated, "I wasn't going to talk about this tonight, but while we're talking about liars... the internet is a liar. It's the only time and the only city I'm going to speak about this so break your camera phones out now."
The artist, whose real name is Jason DeFord, emphasized that he and Bunnie Xo, 46, whose legal name is Alyssa DeFord, maintain an amicable relationship despite the divorce proceedings. He told concertgoers, "Me and my wife are best friends. We will always be best friends. We just got off the phone earlier today."
Addressing rumors of infidelity that have circulated since news of the divorce became public, Jelly Roll firmly denied any cheating occurred. "Nobody cheated on nobody. She just did a whole podcast about it. You can go watch it. Every word of it is the truth," he said, referencing the Thursday episode of Bunnie Xo's "Dumb Blondes" podcast, in which she denied rumors of a romance with Chad Kroeger.
The singer concluded his remarks with a direct message to his estranged wife, expressing gratitude for their time together. "Bunnie, I love you baby. Thank you for those 10 years. They were incredible. Thank you for the next 10 years of friendship and 20 beyond that," he said.
According to Us Weekly, Jelly Roll quietly filed for divorce from Bunnie Xo in Tennessee on May 18. The news was confirmed on Monday, June 15. The couple married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in August 2016, after meeting at one of his concerts in the city in 2015.
The relationship has weathered significant challenges over the years. In October 2025, Jelly Roll publicly acknowledged having an affair during their marriage. Speaking on the "Human School" podcast, he described the infidelity as "one of the worst moments of my adulthood," stating, "I really can't get this right at all. I know I'm in love with this woman."
Bunnie Xo addressed the affair in her February memoir, "Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic." Speaking to Us Weekly at the time, she described the difficulty of moving past the betrayal, explaining, "You're literally grieving and you're heartbroken but you're still in love with this person." She noted that while the affair is part of their story, it ultimately transformed their relationship and understanding of love.
Prior to the divorce filing, Bunnie Xo had addressed speculation about their relationship in October 2025 on her "Dumb Blonde" podcast. She explained their reduced public appearances together were due to her undergoing IVF treatments for six months. The couple had been open about their IVF and surrogacy journey as they attempted to expand their family.
Jelly Roll has two children from previous relationships: daughter Bailee Ann, born in 2008 during his incarceration for a drug dealing offense, whom he shares with ex Felicia Beckwith, and son Noah Buddy, born in August 2016, whom he shares with ex Melisa Ann Cowell.
The "Save Me" singer's decision to address the divorce publicly represents a departure from his stated intention to speak about the matter only once. His emotional remarks in Saratoga Springs underscored his desire to correct misinformation while maintaining respect for his relationship with Bunnie Xo as they navigate this transition.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
