10 Rumors About Jelly Roll's Wife Bunnie Xo We Couldn't Ignore

It's no secret that through Jelly Roll's ever-growing popularity — from an underground hip-hop act to a certified country musician with a complex history — fans have witnessed him lead a significant shift on a grand scale. Beside him was his wife, Bunnie Xo — or Alisa DeFord — who had also sustained a stunning transformation herself. From first meeting Jelly Roll in 2015, she became instrumental in helping the future country star forge a new path in his life. Of course, Bunnie also dealt with her own trials and tribulations, which she eventually overcame to become a well-known content creator through her podcast, "Dumb Blonde."

With success, however, comes controversy, which is something Jelly Roll has always attracted throughout his illustrious career. Given her closeness to the singer, Bunnie frequently found herself involved in a plethora of these rumors as well. Her career as a content creator doesn't make it any better either, as she had to endure public scrutiny based on things that were seemingly out of her control. Bunnie, however, isn't afraid to address these rumors head-on, whether it be the validity of her marriage to Jelly Roll, her "fractured" devotion to Christianity, or some of her unpopular career choices. Though some of these false rumors eventually died out over time, others relatively remained a stain on her public image, making it hard to look away. Which is why we've listed 10 rumors about Bunnie Xo that we couldn't ignore!

To certain fans, one of the weird aspects of Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's marriage is their "alleged" openness. Jelly Roll first sparked these rumors during his 2018 interview with 24/7 Hip-Hop, giving us explicit insight into their personal love life as a couple. Not only did he gush about his life as a touring musician, but he also suggested that he and Bunnie had somewhat of an open relationship. "My wife and I openly invite women into our relationship," he said. "It's kind of a thing. ... It's whatever, right?"

Rumors about what fans presumed to be their open relationship came to a head when an old clip of Bunnie on her podcast, "Dumb Blonde," went viral, stating, "If I want to sleep with other men, I can" (via Parade). Her statement, however, was taken out of context, causing her to address the rumors in a 2025 episode of "Dumb Blonde" (via TikTok). Through this, Bunnie explained that she and Jelly Roll did not try to control each other in their relationship. "If I want to go sleep with another man, he's not going to be like, 'No, you're mine!' You know, you can't do that to people. ... Back in the day, that was how we looked at our relationship," she said. "We don't want to tell each other what we can and can't do. We have free will. That's a huge difference between having an open relationship."

A prominent anecdote people on the internet seem to focus on is the validity of Bunnie Xo's marriage to Jelly Roll. Despite the plethora of PDA moments Bunnie shared with Jelly Roll, fans assume that her love for the award-winning country singer is somehow fabricated and that she's only in it for the money. She'd even go as far as to play into the "gold digger" trope on various social media platforms in response to these allegations due to how ridiculous it appears.

Jelly Roll, however, also played a part in dispelling these rumors. During his 2023 appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Jelly Roll spoke candidly about their financial dynamic before he found musical success, suggesting that Bunnie was never into him for what he had but for who he was (via Whiskey Riff). "My wife grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. My wife was a high-end escort her whole life. That's what she did when I met her. I was broke. I was living in a 1996 van. Literally. Didn't have a house. And this woman has like two condos and a few sports cars. She's f***ing balling!" he said. "It's so funny now, the internet when I won these awards, they're like, 'This b**** is a gold digger.' I was like, 'I was the gold digger. This woman had so much money.'"

2019 proved to be a year of new beginnings for Bunnie Xo as she started her journey in the podcasting space with "Dumb Blonde." As the podcast grew, her manager, Meme Shehan, and make-up artist, Hailee Clark, eventually became dedicated co-hosts. Though it's unclear when they met, Bunnie had a strong relationship with Clark, both in her business and in her personal life. Their kinship ultimately saw Bunnie hire Clark as her dedicated make-up artist with the understanding that she'd have a flexible schedule. Her contractual obligations, however, came to a head in 2023 when Bunnie was misinformed about the extent to which Clark was planning to take off. This led to a sudden fallout between the two, causing fans to wonder what all the drama between Bunnie and her make-up artist was all about. 

From Clark taking to social media in a now-deleted video alleging that she was no longer working on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast to Bunnie later firing back, confusion about their personal issues began to arise. Fans on Reddit who noticed their fallout started to make assumptions about their feud, with one user stating, "I think it's a ploy for ratings and subscriptions to her Patreon." Despite their brief conflict being all too real, the two put aside their differences and became working partners again. In a 2024 TikTok video explaining the situation, Bunnie stated that their issues essentially stemmed from "a lack of communication."

From finding musical stardom as a country artist, Jelly Roll spent most of his time developing close-knit relationships within the music industry. One of which happened to Lainey Wilson, who joined Jelly Roll on stage at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2023 to perform a duet version of his song, "Save Me." This collaboration earned public praise, warranting them to make this a staple performance for the two in the year that followed. Immediately following their collaboration, however, speculation about Jelly Roll's relationship with Wilson began to flood the internet due to RadarOnline announcing that Bunnie Xo was "jealous" of Jelly Roll's friendship with the stunning country singer.

In response to the allegations, Bunnie took to social media to firmly shut the false rumor down about her husband and Wilson in a series of posts. Aside from jokingly admitting her secret attraction to Wilson in a video of the two meeting for the first time, Bunnie took to her Instagram story to criticize the publication's journalistic integrity, advising them to "get better journalists"(via Taste of Country). In another story, she suggested that the person they should be "worried" about is her, not Jelly Roll. "It's actually me that wants Lainey," she wrote. "So do better research."

As with any celebrity who has attained great fortune and fame, it's only expected to run into claims of joining the Illuminati. With darkness surrounding the entertainment industry — whether it be an actor or a musician — these were rumors that plagued Bunnie Xo's career. While we'd see Jelly Roll accidentally put himself in the crosshairs of online conspiracy theorists after posting cryptic tweets, Bunnie would simply be dragged into these allegations due to her strong connection to the immensely popular singer. She'd address these claims in a 2024 TikTok video, responding to a user claiming they agreed to "certain terms" to join the Illuminati and that he is Jelly Roll's "handler." "First of all, I think it's awesome that you guys think that we have enough money to be in the Illuminati. ... People on the internet just say whatever they want without valid proof — assumptions — and the wildest thing is that people believe it," she said.

These Illuminati claims made their way into a 2025 "Dumb Blonde" episode where she addressed some of the wildest rumors she's heard about herself on the internet. One of which was a similar comment where a user noted that her online presence resembled that of someone who is in the Illuminati. "If there is an Illuminati, I've never seen it," she stated. "We've never been invited to any weird f***ing parties. We've never been anywhere to see anything like that." 

Whenever Jelly Roll or Bunnie Xo interacts with someone of the opposite gender who is not their significant other, it is oftentimes followed by an online discussion regarding their commitment to one another. We first saw this with Lainey Wilson, whom Bunnie seemingly had no qualms with, despite the internet's assumptions. Things, however, took a turn for the worse in 2024 when Bunnie uploaded a TikTok video of her meeting Chris "Motionless" Cerulli from the rock band "Motionless in White," with the caption, "When you finally get to meet your hall pass." 

Although Jelly Roll himself praised the interaction, stating, "Bout time," some fans were notably upset with Bunnie, spreading rumors of an incoming affair in her comments. "Like, I know they brought home other people when they dated and all, but I wouldn't want mine doing that. Just saying," one user wrote. The outrage from her followers caused her to not only address her fans in a Facebook post but also address publications in a TikTok video. "This has gone a little too far!" she quipped. "It's a joke, but it's not. ... I love Motionless in White. I think Chris is adorable, but that's it. It's just like an inside thing where my husband says he loves Taylor Swift, I say I like Chris Motionless. It's super innocent, and this has turned into something that is like a media circus."

Bunnie Xo's job as a podcast host on "Dumb Blonde" involves her going above and beyond to create compelling, yet entertaining content for her listeners. In some cases, it borders on conveying clear transparency to viewers on various topics, ranging from mental health stories to relationship advice, depending on who her guests are. In 2024, however, Bunnie crossed over the lines of what her fans deemed acceptable when she expressed interest in interviewing a convicted murderer, Wade Wilson — otherwise known as the "Deadpool Killer" — in a now-deleted TikTok post. 

As Bunnie grew interested in his story — which involved the murder of two women in 2019 — she wanted to interview him in hopes of influencing other women to see how gruesome he was. However, fans thought her motivations were suspicious. Reddit users suggested that her allowing Wilson the platform to share his story was rooted in her secret attraction to him and was desensitizing the trauma he caused to his victims ' families. Although she eventually interacted with Wilson, which led to yet another controversy, Bunnie did respond to the backlash she received on TikTok, clarifying her true intent. While doing so, she apologized for her actions but firmly debunked the rumor about her secret attraction to Wilson. "Being curious about why a killer is a f***ing whackjob does not make me a bad person. ... But what makes me an a**hole is being insensitive to the victims' families," she said.

Although Bunnie Xo has a strong relationship with Jelly Roll's kids, Bailee Ann and Noah Buddy DeFord, the two don't have any children together as of this publication. Given their way of life, it seemed to be an aspect of life that Bunnie and Jelly Roll were happy sustaining. That changed, however, as Jelly Roll publicly discussed that they were thinking about having a baby together, which promptly caused Bunnie to start her IVF journey in 2024.

Unbeknownst to the public, Bunnie had a brief venture into IVF in 2019. While she'd stop short due to mental health issues, she ultimately came around to the idea and was willing to share her journey with the public. In a clip posted on Facebook of a 2024 episode of "Dumb Blonde," Bunnie noted that while there were several fans who rooted for her, a minority of her fanbase alleged that she was using pregnancy to garner views. "I get sent all these comments, and just people talking s***, and somebody saying that, 'Oh, now she wants to have a baby for content.' First of all, do I look like I need to have a baby to get views, motherf***ers? No. No, I don't," she stated. "And then there was another person like, 'Oh, she just wants to capitalize and make money off the baby.' Do you not think I'm not f***ing rich already?"

Despite Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll's willingness to make PDA-filled appearances ranging from red carpets to sporting events, 2025 proved to be a year where their public outings dialed down. Given their respective careers, it's only expected for the two to have moments distanced away from the public. This was the type of insight Bunnie openly shared during an episode of "Dumb Blonde" in August (via Hello! Magazine)

According to Bunnie, fans have speculated that the two weren't as close anymore, with some even deeming them to be on the road to divorce. Bunnie, however, firmly explained why fans may not see her and Jelly Roll as public as they may have been used to. "Somebody said the other day, 'They used to always be together. Now you never see them together,'" she recalled. "I'm like, do you guys not know [that] for the past six months, I've been trying to make a baby? Like, my husband has to work to bring home the bacon." She later noted that her new way of life has made it difficult to make public appearances alongside her husband. "Luckily, I have the luxury of being able to work from home. So he doesn't. He has to make appearances. But I literally have been on IVF meds for six months and going through heartbreak and so much," she said.

The conversation revolving around sobriety can be tricky. Jelly Roll knows this all too well, as he was previously under fire from the public for using marijuana to keep himself sober. Bunnie Xo appeared to be on the receiving end of similar criticisms in 2025 when she took to Instagram to share a video of her and Jelly Roll in Rome with a bottle of wine in her hand. "Ya girl drank," she wrote. "When in Rome."

Since Bunnie is a prior drug addict who has stayed away from substances since 2017, fans immediately took to the comments section to criticize her for breaking her sobriety. She confirmed the rumors on a September episode of "Dumb Blonde," but with the caveat that it was simply her having fun rather than her falling back into her old vices (via E! News). "A lot of people think that I was an alcoholic in my former life, and that wasn't my drug of choice," she explained. "My drug of choice was cocaine and Xanax, those were my vices. Alcohol was just always prevalent because I grew up in Vegas, I never had a problem with that." Even though consuming alcohol was never an issue for her, she still made it a point to abstain from drinking either way. "Just because I can have a drink does not mean that I fell off the wagon and I'm going to be drinking every night again," she said.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).