Jelly Roll Admitted to Cheating on His Wife, Saying It Was the 'Worst Moment' of His Life

Jelly Roll stunned audiences at the 2026 Grammys with his dramatic 300-pound weight-loss transformation, arriving on the red carpet alongside his wife, Bunnie XO. The country star's sleek new look drew headlines, but the spotlight quickly shifted to the resilience of their marriage.

The night was historic for Jelly Roll. He picked up his first-ever Grammy wins, including Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his collaboration with Shaboozey on Amen, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for Hard Fought Hallelujah with Brandon Lake. In his acceptance speech, he credited Bunnie XO for saving his life, saying he would have 'ended up dead or in jail' without her support.

Jelly Roll's Painful Confession

In the Human School Podcast on 21 October 2025, Jelly Roll candidly admitted to cheating on his wife of nine years, Bunnie XO. The 41-year-old country singer said that cheating on his wife was the 'worst moment' of his adulthood, confessing: 'I don't talk about this publicly at all, but one of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair on my wife.'

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, shared his deep disappointment in himself, saying it left him shaken despite knowing he was in love with Bunnie.

Bunnie XO's Defiant Response to Critics

When Jelly Roll shared that Bunnie XO, whose real name is Alyssa DeFord, forgave and accepted him despite the affair, online critics were quick to condemn her choice. But the 46-year-old podcast host stood firm, responding directly to detractors.

She wrote: 'It actually takes a stronger woman to face pain head-on, do the work, and rebuild with the man she loves – instead of running or gossiping.' She added, 'Growth isn't weakness, it's grace. But not everyone's built for that kind of strength. I pray you never have to feel that pain bc you're judging another woman's life.'

Bunnie XO has been very vocal about why she chose to stay with Jelly Roll after his infidelity, which primarily occurred during a brief separation in 2018. Her philosophy of 'grace over judgment' reflects her belief that a relationship can be rebuilt into something stronger if both partners are willing to do the work.

Peer Pressure and the Affair

The country singer explained that his infidelity stemmed from the influence of the company he kept at the time. 'I was hanging around a bunch of people that were cheating on their wives,' Jelly Roll said, comparing it to his past struggles with substance abuse.

'When I was doing cocaine, I was hanging around a bunch of people that were doing cocaine. When I was drinking a lot, I was hanging around a lot of people that were drinking a lot.'

He admitted that he once valued long-standing friendships 'just because they had a number attached to 'em' despite toxic behaviour, but now he and Bunnie surround themselves with people who uplift them.

Rebuilding After the 2018 Split

The couple briefly separated in 2018 before eventually rekindling their romance. Jelly Roll has since spoken about the effort he put into repairing their relationship, saying that the process 'has been special'.

'I did a lot of work to repair that relationship,' he said. 'The repair has been special, man. We're stronger than we could've ever been. I wish our story would've gone in a way where there was never an affair, and I'm in no way glad it happened, but, man, I'm proud of who we are today.'

Bunnie reflected on their journey in a 2023 TikTok post, writing: 'Who knew that us breaking up in 2018, me moving back to Vegas & you coming to get me back would have put us on this wild journey called life.'

She added: 'We finally committed to each other & did everything we promised each other the first night in 2016. Our castle in the sand had to crumble so we could rebuild on solid ground. I yuh you so mushhh.'

Bunnie XO is stepmother to Jelly Roll's two children from a previous relationship: daughter Bailee Ann, 17, and son Noah Buddy, 9.