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- Jelly Roll is a country rapper who’s been climbing the charts since 2011.
- The won three CMT Music Awards in 2023 and he brought his wife, Bunnie XO, as his date to the show.
- Jelly Roll is making his ACM performance debut at the 58th annual show on May 11
Jelly Roll has been taking over the country rap music game and it’s in no small thanks to his gorgeous wife, Bunnie XO! The country star attended the CMT Music Awards on April 2, and unsurprisingly, Bunnie XO was his date night on the red carpet. The two looked blissfully happy together as they posed for photos on the red carpet ahead of Jelly Roll’s performance at the show. The singer even found out that he won the first award of the night (and first CMT win ever) while he was on the red carpet! Jelly Roll dominated the show and took home trophies for all three of his nominated categories: Male Video of the Year, Breakthrough Male Video of the Year, and CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year.
Jelly Roll’s musical rise didn’t stop at the 2023 CMT Awards; he was invited to perform at the 58th Annual ACM Awards on May 11. This will be his first performance at the show, and it’s safe to say his fans are enthused by the major appearance. The night before, he hosted the Opry NextStage Live event at Lava Cantina in The Colony, Texas! The Opry NextStage Live show is meant to bring up-and-coming artists into the spotlight ahead of one of country’s biggest nights. Unsurprisingly, Jelly Roll’s bride showed that she was there supporting him on her Instagram Story. Learn more about Bunnie XO below.
Bunnie Hosts A Major Podcast
With a reported 6-year age gap and Jelly being born in 1986, it appears Bunnie was born in 1992, per Taste of Country Nights. The outlet reported Bunnie as an “exotic model/host” and a “high school dropout who kick-started her career on YouTube.” She parlayed the success into an even more successful podcast called The Dumb Blonde Podcast.
Of course, her social media footprint is no slouch either. Bunnie boasts over 900k followers on her Instagram!
“She’s my best friend, man. She really is,” Jelly said of Bunnie to Music Mayhem Magazine. “She’s supported me. She helped me get my music career really up and going.” Let’s take a look at the woman, the myth, the legend… Bunnie XO, below!
Bunnie loves getting to know the most genuine version of the people she brings onto her podcasts. In an April 27 Instagram post, in which she lounged on a beanbag chair in nothing by a skimpy bodysuit (seen here), she spoke about her interest in unraveling people’s layers. “I love unmade beds, I love when people are crying & cannot be anything but honest in that moment. I love the look in people’s eyes when they realize they are in love,” she penned.
“I love the way people look when they first wake up & they’ve forgotten their surrounding. I love the gasp people take when their favorite character dies. I love when people close their eyes & drift somewhere in the clouds. I fall in love with honest moments all the time. I fall in love with their breakdowns & their smeared makeup & their day dreams. Honesty is just too beautiful to ever put into words,” she concluded.
Bunnie & Jelly’s Meet-Cute
Jelly Roll married Bunnie, real name Bunnie DeFord, in Aug. 2016 after reportedly first meeting at one of his shows in Las Vegas, NV., according to Music Mayhem. “We hit it off,” Jelly Roll said, adding, “She said she fell in love with the saddest eyes in the room.”
The meet-cute was electric, to say the least, according to the rapper. “I felt her soul,” he explained. “When I hugged her, I could just feel the genuineness of her. I could tell it wasn’t an act.”
She Loves That Jelly Loves Her ‘Weirdness’
The couple are really cute together and even their ‘weirdness’ works with each other! Bunnie shared a sweet clip of the pair sitting together at a table at a wedding and they immediately begin vibing off each other. Check out the clip, captioned, ‘Find someone who matches your weird’, above!
Bunnie Is Stepmother To Jelly’s Kids
Jelly was a father of two before his path collided with Bunnie. A previous relationship resulted in a son named Noah Buddy DeFord, who was born in 2016, and a different romance resulted in his daughter Bailee Ann DeFord being welcomed in May 2008.
“[Bunnie] helped me raise my daughter,” Jelly Roll told Music Mayhem. “We’ve had custody of her for the last nine years. It just takes a real selfless person to help raise a child they didn’t birth.” The outlet reported Bunnie is also stepmother to Noah.
Jelly Called One Of Bunnie’s Ex ‘Abusive’
“She was with some abusive douchebag, and they came to a show, and we were backstage,” Jelly Roll said of first meeting Bunnie during an interview with King and the Sting and the Wing Clips. “They split, and I’m not going to act like I shot my shot. She kind of shot hers. We had mutual friends. She said, ‘Yo. Just plug me in with Jelly.’” And the rest is herstory!
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This story originally appeared on Hollywoodlife
