Jelly Roll may be a household name these days, but his wife, Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Bunnie DeFord, may just be the real star of the show.
The self-proclaimed “Trailer Park Barbara Walters” is unconventional, but she is exactly who she says she is – and she’s proud of where she came from. While her Instagram is a mix of provocative photos and family snapshots, Bunnie’s big heart and resilience is what Jelly Roll loves the most about her.
“You’re a gangster yet gentle and kind. I’m so proud of who you are becoming,” Jelly Roll wrote on Instagram earlier this year. “Watching you grow and build the Dumb Blonde business has been incredible to watch from the front row, and know for the rest of your life, I’ll be right here cheering you on.”
From high school dropout to high-end escort to successful businesswoman and podcast host, here are five facts about Bunnie XO.
See below for 5 facts about Bunnie XO.
Bunnie XO Met Jelly Roll When She Was A High-End Escort
Bunnie was a high-end escort when she met Jelly Roll. Jelly Roll laughs when people accuse her of being a “gold digger” as it was actually Bunnie who was making all the money when they met. He himself was broke and living in a van.
“She bet the farm on me,” he told Bertcast, revealing that her clientele were among some of the wealthiest men in the country. He was living in a van when they met and it was her income that helped him get “out of the van and into the bedroom.”
Bunnie XO Is Six Years Older Than Jelly Roll
She’s the “older woman.” Bunnie is six years older than Jelly Roll and their age gap (Bunnie is 43 years old, and Jelly Roll is 37 years old) has drawn criticism. However, the couple lets it roll off their backs.
“A hooker and a convict held hands on one dark night in the desert and made a decision to change our lives together and go all in our dreams,” he captioned an Instagram photo of the pair.
Bunnie Is A High School Drop Out Turned Successful Businesswoman
While she’s a savvy businesswoman these days, Bunnie was a high school drop out. She kick-started her career on YouTube and is now the host of Dumb Blonde Podcast, which finds her sitting down with sometimes polarizing figures to discuss life, the sex worker industry, and everything in between. She also founded Dumb Blonde Productions, an entertainment company, and recently signed with WME for management and booking.
“THANK YOU FOR 1.7 million downloads for the podcast in January!” she wrote on Instagram earlier this year. “I can’t express to you how excited I am to be signed w/ WME now & watching the Bunnie Xo brand grow even bigger. I love y’all so mushhh. The broken little girl inside me heals everyday because of each & everyone of you.”
Bunnie Helps Raise Jelly Roll’s Daughter Bailee Ann
Bunnie helped Jelly Roll get custody of his daughter Bailee Ann, and the pair have raised her together since they got custody of Bailee in 2016.
“It just takes a real selfless person to help raise a child they didn’t birth,” Jelly Roll said. He also added, “It takes a special kind of woman to raise a kid that isn’t her child and still treat the child as if she was. Bunnie is a beautiful soul. She is kind, patient, and caring. Over the years watching her relationship with Bailee blossom into this beautiful mother daughter bond that it has become has been nothing short of magical. I have truly been blessed with the best partner I could’ve asked for in life. You are the epitome of a good mom and deserve more credit than anyone because you didn’t have to step up to the plate the way you did. You chose to step up and man you have knocked it out of the park . Thank you, Mama Bear – we love you.”
Bailee Ann was born on May 22, 2008. At the time, her father Jelly Roll was in prison, but vowed to turn his life around for his daughter.
“She’s now 14, and I knew I had to change my life,” Jelly Roll, who is also dad to a son named Noah, recently told Audacy’s I’m Listening. “I started selling CDs out of the trunk of my car and t-shirts and throwing local concerts and doing anything I could to not revert back to a life of crime to provide for her.”
Bailee Ann often joins Jelly Roll onstage during his concerts to perform “Tears Could Talk.” A natural performer, Bailee has previously worked with her now famous father in the recording studio to cut tracks for some of his albums. Jelly Roll’s teenage daughter also appears on the studio version of “Tears Could Talk” and has even written a verse on “Sunshine After the Rain.”
Jelly Roll Proposed To Bunnie On Stage At A Yelawolf/Deftones Concert
Jelly Roll proposed to Bunnie on stage at a Yelawolf/Deftones concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is also where Bunnie is from. Not only did she say yes, she agreed to head to the courthouse right then and there and the pair were married that night!
“Looking back at what felt like the absolute wildest decision I ever made, it ended up literally being the best decision I’ve made my entire life,” Jelly Roll wrote on their anniversary. “This woman has truly changed my life in every way possible. She truly changed the lens in which I see life through.”
According to both Jelly Roll and Bunnie, it was “love at first sight” when they first met at one of Jelly roll’s shows in Las Vegas. She was dating someone else and he was a broke musician living in a beat up fan with a criminal past, but something clicked. Once they were both single, the stars aligned – with a little help from their friends.
