Jelly Roll reflects on one of the most painful chapters of his life: the time he cheated on his wife, Bunnie Xo.
The country star opened up about his regrets during the Oct. 21 episode of the series Human School Podcastadmitting that the affair was one of the lowest points in his adulthood.
“I don’t talk about this publicly at all,” Jelly Roll said. “But one of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair with my wife.”
The 40-year-old singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, said the experience left him deeply disappointed in himself.
“It was the first time I thought, ‘I really can’t do this right. I know I’m in love with this woman.’ It was just that…I was really, really disappointed.”
Jelly Roll said the incident forced him to take responsibility and make an effort to rebuild trust with Bunnie.
“I’ve done a lot of work to repair that relationship,” he said. “The repair was special. And we are stronger than we ever could have been.”
Although he wishes things had turned out differently, he is proud of where they are now.
“I wish our story had gone the way it never had an affair,” he admitted, “but I’m proud of who we are now.”
Reflecting on what set him on that path, the Bloodline The singer said that his social circle at the time had a major influence on his choices.
“I was hanging out with a group of people who cheated on their wives,” he explained, adding that his environment often reflected his habits.
“When I was using cocaine, I was hanging out with a group of people who were using cocaine. When I was drinking a lot, I was hanging out with a lot of people who were drinking a lot.”
He also revealed how difficult it was for him to walk away from toxic friendships simply because they were long-term.
“I used to take pride in long-term friendships just because there was a number attached to it,” he said. “Horrible people. But I could proudly say, ‘That guy has been with me for 12 years.'”
Now things look very different for Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Alyssa DeFord.
The couple has surrounded themselves with people who bring positivity into their lives. “I wanted to be friends with people I wanted to be like,” Jelly Roll said.
Although Bunnie has largely kept quiet about the affair, she hinted at their brief breakup in 2018 via a TikTok post earlier this year.
“Who would have thought that we would break up in 2018, that I would move back to Vegas and you would come to get me back – would have put us on this wild journey called life,” she wrote.
“We finally committed to each other and did everything we promised each other on the first night of 2016.”
In her post, she reflected on how far they have come as a couple. “Our castle in the sand had to crumble so we could rebuild on solid ground,” she said. “I think you are so muhhh.”
Today, the couple seems stronger and more grounded, having turned a painful chapter into a story of growth, forgiveness and resilience.
