Jelly Roll’s Divorce Filing Reveals Surprising Date of Separation from Bunnie Xo

The country star filed for divorce from his wife in Williamson County, Tennessee on May 18, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo separated on May 9, nine days before he filed for divorce

The couple, married since 2016, renewed their vows in 2023

The pair recently spoke about IVF struggles and surrogacy plans

When did Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo separate?

The country star, 41, filed for divorce from his wife in Williamson County, Tennessee on May 18, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. The documents list the couple’s separation date as May 9 and cite “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.

The pair’s separation date came about one week after they supported his 18-year-old daughter Bailee as she went to prom. They documented the experience on social media at the time, with Bunnie referring to herself and the “Save Me” singer as “Maw & Paw of the Prom Queen.”

On May 9, Bunnie shared a TikTok video of herself posing with Jelly and Bailee alongside the text, “Never believed in ever after happily until y’all.”

Jelly is also father to son Noah, 9. Both of his children were born from previous relationships, though Bunnie has relished in her role as stepmother.

News of Jelly’s divorce filing comes after nearly a decade of marriage for the couple, who wed on Aug. 30, 2016, after a year of dating. They tied the knot in a secret courthouse ceremony the same night they got engaged.

The “Need a Favor” singer (real name Jason DeFord) and Bunnie (real name Alisa DeFord) renewed their vows at the same chapel in 2023.

In February, the couple attended the 2026 Grammy Awards together. That night, Jelly won Best Contemporary Country Album and got emotional while talking about Bunnie in his acceptance speech.

“I want to thank my beautiful wife,” Jelly said at the time. “I would have never changed my life without you. I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”

He and Bunnie have spoken openly about facing highs and lows throughout their time together. In her 2026 memoir Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, she revealed Jelly had a 10-month affair in 2018.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo in Los Angeles in January 2026
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty

During an October 2025 interview, Jelly admitted the infidelity was “one of the worst moments in my adulthood” but exclaimed he was “proud of who we are today.”

More recently, the couple had spoken about wanting to have a baby together and experiencing struggles with IVF. Bunnie wrote in Stripped Down that she and Jelly found a surrogate and hoped to welcome kids.

“I think we’re just ready for a piece of us,” she told PEOPLE in January. “It has not been easy, but I know that God has a plan and he’s going to make it work. I really do. I have no doubt in my mind.”

SOURE: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/jelly-roll-divorce-filing-reveals-162246010.html