Additional Coverage:
Country artist Jelly Roll and his wife, Alisa DeFord, known professionally as Bunnie X0, have reportedly ended their marriage. Court documents filed on June 15 reveal that Jelly Roll, 41, initiated divorce proceedings in Tennessee last month. The split appears to be mutual and had remained a private matter until now.
Jelly Roll met DeFord in 2015, before his rise to fame in the music industry. Their relationship has faced challenges over the years.
The couple married in August 2016, shortly after Jelly Roll reportedly fathered a son with another woman just a week before their wedding. DeFord, who formerly worked as a sex worker, left that profession in 2023.
In addition to personal struggles, Jelly Roll has encountered professional setbacks recently. On June 2, Post Malone announced via Instagram that he would be canceling six dates on his ongoing Big A– Stadium Tour Part 2, which Jelly Roll was slated to join. The canceled shows included stops in El Paso, Waco, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Tampa, and Oxford.
Earlier in April, Jelly Roll withdrew from a scheduled Sioux Falls concert, with the rock band Staind stepping in as his replacement. Kid Rock, organizer of the Rock the Country festival, also confirmed Jelly Roll’s absence from the Sioux Falls and South Dakota performances on June 28 and reduced ticket prices for the event by about 50%. Staind was announced as the new headliner for the Sioux Falls date.
Amid these changes, some fans speculate about Jelly Roll’s political leanings, especially after an Instagram post featuring him with Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s governor known for her conservative views, sparked discussions. At the recent Grammy Awards, where Jelly Roll won three awards, he declined to comment on current national issues, stating, “Not really,” when asked about the country’s state.
Several prominent artists have publicly criticized Governor Noem and the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which have been linked to controversial and tragic incidents. Jelly Roll’s reluctance to engage in political discourse contrasts with the outspoken stances of many in the music industry.