Jelly Roll has spoken out after revealing that he ended up in the hospital shortly before news broke that he had filed for divorce from his estranged wife, Bunnie Xo.
The country star, born Jason DeFord, filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tennessee, on May 18, 2026, according to court records. The filing listed May 9 as the couple’s date of separation and cited irreconcilable differences. The news did not become public until June 15 and June 16, prompting fresh attention on the pair’s relationship history and his recent health scare.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo married in Las Vegas in August 2016 and were approaching their 10th wedding anniversary when the divorce filing was made. They had appeared together publicly earlier this year, including at the Grammy Awards in February, where Jelly Roll thanked Bunnie during his acceptance speech and credited her with helping change his life.
Because the two were often seen being affectionate in public and still appeared close in recent appearances, the split surprised many fans. Others, however, believe there had been hints they were no longer together before the divorce became public knowledge.
So far, neither Jelly Roll nor Bunnie Xo has publicly addressed the breakup in a formal statement.
Before the divorce news emerged, Jelly Roll posted a TikTok explaining that he had been hospitalized on June 10 while dealing with a sinus infection.
“I went to the hospital last night in Charlotte,” he said in the video. “Shoutout to that whole hospital. They literally got me on my feet for the show.
“I had a puffy face and all. It was just bad, dude, the sinus infection was bad.”
Jelly Roll was on tour with Post Malone at the time, and he said the singer sent him flowers while he was sick. He also praised the chart-topper warmly.
“He’s the most rockstar dude I’ve ever known that’s the most normal dude in the world, like, I love you Posty,” Jelly Roll went on to gush.
The two previously teamed up on the song ‘Losers’, which came out last year.
The performer has long been candid with his audience about his personal life. He has spoken publicly about everything from his 275lb weight loss to being unfaithful to Bunnie Xo during their marriage.
Last year, he said the couple had to do ‘a lot of work’ to rebuild their relationship after his infidelity. Reports suggested the affair lasted for around a year.
Bunnie also discussed the situation, telling Kelly Clarkson on her show that choosing to give her husband another chance was ‘the best decision’ she’s ‘ever made’. However, she also made clear that she would not offer Jelly Roll a third chance if he cheated again.
Their story began when Bunnie Xo met Jelly Roll at one of his performances at the Las Vegas Country Saloon, back before his mainstream breakthrough. At the time, he was living in a van and only about 20 people were in the crowd. They spoke backstage, though Bunnie was in another relationship then.
After ending things with her ex, Bunnie asked a friend to pass along Jelly Roll’s number. She later said he would call and text her for advice about his daughter, Bailee, from a previous relationship.
Their friendship eventually became romantic when Jelly Roll returned to Vegas to shoot a music video and Bunnie invited him to stay at her home.
He later proposed to her onstage during a Yelawolf and Deftones concert in Las Vegas, asking: “[I wanna know] will your fine a** marry my white trash a** tonight in Las Vegas?” The two then married that same night at The Little White Chapel.
Jelly Roll also has a son, Noah Buddy, with an ex. In 2016, he and Bunnie were granted primary custody of Bailee because of her mother’s substance abuse issues.
At one stage, Jelly Roll cheated on Bunnie and the pair split for a period. He later described the affair as ‘one of the worst moments of his adulthood’.
Speaking on the Human School podcast, he said he ‘did a lot of work to repair that relationship’. They later got back together that same year.
Bunnie went on to launch the Dumb Blonde podcast, which became hugely successful and featured guests including Dolly Parton and MGK.
Jelly Roll’s career also surged, with ‘Son of a Sinner’ reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s US Country Airplay chart.
Bunnie later deleted her OnlyFans account and stepped away from the sex industry.
The couple eventually returned to The Little White Chapel in Las Vegas to renew their vows.
Bunnie later shared on Instagram that they had decided to pursue IVF, writing: “W/all odds stacked against us, it’s always been hard & we have only just begun.”
She also joked that after Jelly Roll’s 275-pound weight loss, his penis had become ‘severely bigger’.
As of now, the divorce remains the most significant recent development in the couple’s very public relationship, and fans are still waiting to see whether either of them will address the split directly.