Jelly Roll’s Wife Bunnie Xo Speaks Out After His Affair Confession

Jelly Roll, Bunnie XO, Academy of Country Music awards 2024, ACM Awards 2024

Bunnie Xo clapped back at a critical fan who told her she should leave her husband Jelly Roll after he revealed he had previously cheated on his wife of nine years.

Bunnie Xo is hopping into the conversation.

One day after her husband Jelly Roll shared he had previously cheated on his wife of nearly a decade, the Dumb Blonde podcast host reacted to an online critic who said she should “hop away” from the singer over his infidelity.

“It actually takes a stronger woman to face pain head-on, do the work, and rebuild with the man she loves — instead of running or gossiping,” Bunnie wrote in a screenshot shared to her Instagram Story Oct. 22. “Growth isn’t weakness, it’s grace.”

The 45-year-old—who tied the knot with the “Bloodline” singer in 2016—added, “But not everyone’s built for that kind of strength. I pray you never have to feel that pain bc you’re judging another woman’s life.”

The day before, Jelly Roll (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) detailed the emotional toll his affair has had on him over the years.

“I don’t talk about this publicly at all,” the 40-year-old said on the Oct. 21 episode of the Human School Podcast, “but one of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair on my wife.”

“It was the first time that I was like, ‘I really can’t get this right at all. I know I’m in love with this woman,’” he continued. “It was just such a—just really, really, really blew me back.”

Despite the mistake, the “Son of a Sinner” singer—who is dad to daughter Bailee Ann, 17, and son Noah, 9, from previous relationships—worked on rebuilding trust with Bunnie.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XoTammie Arroyo/AFF-USA/Shutterstock

“I did a lot of work to repair that relationship,” he added. “The repair has been special. And we’re stronger than we could have ever been.”

While Jelly Roll admitted that his affair was influenced, in part, by being around “a bunch of people that were cheating on their wives,” he also referenced his indulgence in cocaine and alcohol as part of the problem.

Jelly Roll, Bunnie Xo, 2025Ryan Vestil/Shutterstock

However, the Grammy nominee, who has detailed his past struggles with addiction, and his wife (real name Alyssa DeFord) now surround themselves with “people I wanted to be like.”

And though he wishes that the pair’s love story “would’ve went in the way that it never had an affair,” he is “proud of who we are today.”