Understand Your Rights. Solve Your Legal Problems
In a candid 2025 interview, country singer Jelly Roll confessed that cheating on his wife, Bunnie Xo (Alyssa DeFord), was "one of the worst moments" of his adult life. The revelation confirms the couple's brief 2018 split, but he asserted that after significant effort, their relationship is now stronger than ever, proving that highly publicized infidelity can be overcome.
In the high-stakes world of celebrity marriage, Jelly Roll's recent confession about cheating on his wife, Bunnie Xo, is more than just sensational gossip; it intersects with serious family law. While the couple's reconciliation has kept them out of divorce court, their tumultuous past provides a vivid lesson in the legal weight of marital misconduct, particularly in their home state of Tennessee.
Cheating, or adultery, is not a crime in Tennessee, but it is a major fault-based ground for divorce. This means an unfaithful spouse's actions can directly affect the financial outcome of a split, especially concerning spousal support. This is governed by statutes like the Tennessee Code Annotated S36-4-101(a)(3), which explicitly allows for divorce on the grounds of "Adultery."
According to analysis reviewed by Lawyer Monthly, had the couple divorced, Bunnie Xo could have pursued a fault-based claim. Tennessee courts may consider marital fault when determining alimony (spousal support). Furthermore, if Jelly Roll had spent significant marital funds on the affair, this dissipation of assets could have led to a more favorable property division for Bunnie.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo attend the 58th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in Frisco, Texas.
Country music superstar Jelly Roll is laying bare the secrets of his past, including the shocking infidelity that nearly destroyed his nine-year marriage to Bunnie Xo. The chart-topping artist, 40, recently opened up, describing the moment he cheated as "one of the worst moments of my adulthood," a confession that sends a clear, dramatic message about personal redemption and the price of a lie.
The "Need a Favor" singer, whose recent 200-pound weight loss and honest lyrics have made him an inspirational figure, shared the intensely private revelation on the Human School podcast. This admission arrives just days after the couple celebrated their latest wedding anniversary, painting a vivid picture of a relationship forged in fire and commitment.
"One of the worst moments of my adulthood was when I had an affair on my wife," Jelly Roll stated, detailing the immediate, gut-punching regret he felt. The singer, whose real name is Jason DeFord, explained that the betrayal was a stark moment of failure, forcing him to confront deeply ingrained personal issues. He acknowledged, "It was the first time that I was like, 'I really can’t get this right at all. I know I’m in love with this woman.'"
This emotional disclosure follows a recent period where both husband and wife have been the focus of intense media scrutiny. Bunnie Xo (Alyssa DeFord) previously alluded to a brief 2018 split in a TikTok post, revealing they broke up and she moved back to Las Vegas before he came to reconcile. She described that painful time as necessary: "Our castle in the sand had to crumble so we could rebuild on solid ground," a truly powerful statement on their difficult journey.
Jelly Roll did not mince words about the destructive environment that fueled his actions, citing the toxic influence of his social circle. He candidly admitted, "I was hanging around a bunch of people that were cheating on their wives," connecting his affair directly to the bad company he kept. He also referenced his history of substance abuse, saying, "When I was doing cocaine, I was hanging around a bunch of people that were doing cocaine."
Now, he is adamant about his lifestyle change, prioritizing people who lift him up, stating he only wants to "be around people I want to be like." This commitment to self-improvement is evident not only in his marriage but also in his dramatic health transformation, which has captivated fans globally and landed him headlining tour spots, cementing his status as a major player in country music. The couple’s decision to renew their vows in 2023, seven years after their original spontaneous Las Vegas chapel wedding, symbolizes a powerful, publicly shared act of recommitment.
Despite the depth of the betrayal, the couple has emerged from their crisis with profound strength. "I did a lot of work to repair that relationship," Jelly Roll stressed, emphasizing that their bond is now "stronger than we could have ever been." This narrative of redemption and repair, combined with the star’s continued professional success—including being named Country Artist of the Year at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards—resonates powerfully with fans seeking authentic, human stories.
The DeFords’ highly public battle against infidelity sheds light on how such actions are handled within the American legal system, which is evolving but still attaches significant consequences to a breach of marital vows.
For couples residing in Tennessee, a state that maintains fault-based divorce options, adultery is a legally relevant factor that courts must consider when determining alimony. Unlike in some no-fault states where an affair is irrelevant, the law here permits a judge to account for the relative fault of both parties.
Prominent family law attorney John Schuman offers a professional perspective on the delicate nature of these cases, stating, "The innocent spouse feels a lot of emotion.
Those emotions can include anger, and strong desire for justice to correct the wrong that was done to them. But then they hear that Canada has 'no-fault' divorce and the affair does not affect what orders a family court judge will make." While Schuman speaks about Canadian law, his observation on the innocent spouse's desire for justice mirrors the leverage an attorney can gain in U.S. fault states like Tennessee, where an affair can certainly "tip the scales" in spousal support decisions.
Even if the infidelity itself is forgiven, the legal system takes a dim view of any associated financial malfeasance. If Jelly Roll had spent marital money—funds earned during the marriage—on the affair (e.g., hotel bills, lavish gifts for a paramour), Bunnie Xo could have sought compensation for this "dissipation of marital assets."
Tennessee law, though an equitable distribution state, allows the court to re-balance the property division to compensate the non-offending spouse for those wasted expenditures. This is a critical legal tool, ensuring that the financial damage caused by an affair is accounted for, even if the emotional betrayal is impossible to measure in dollar signs.
By choosing reconciliation, Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo have bypassed a potentially agonizing and financially damaging legal battle, providing an inspiring example of a private solution to a profoundly legal problem.
If you are interested in learning more about how adultery can affect the outcome of divorce proceedings, you can watch The Surprising Ways Adultery Does and Does Not Affect Family Court Cases.
Yes, they did break up briefly. Bunnie Xo has confirmed they separated in 2018 following the affair, revealing she moved back to Las Vegas. Jelly Roll's recent comments confirm the infidelity led to this split. However, they quickly reconciled, put in significant work to repair their relationship, and ultimately renewed their vows in 2023, stating they are now "stronger than we could have ever been."
Had the couple pursued a divorce in Tennessee, which is a fault-based state, the adultery could have significantly impacted the case. While the law prevents punitive property division, the court can consider the fault (adultery) when deciding alimony (spousal support). Furthermore, if Jelly Roll spent marital money on the affair (known as dissipation of assets), Bunnie Xo could have been awarded a larger share of the remaining marital estate to compensate for the financial loss.
Jelly Roll explained that the act of cheating forced him to confront the failure of his personal life and the negative influence of the people he was surrounding himself with at the time. He stated it was the first time he realized he "really can’t get this right at all," leading to profound regret and the subsequent decision to clean up his life, both personally and socially, by cutting ties with toxic friends.
Jelly Roll's confession about cleaning up his act—including leaving a destructive social circle and overcoming substance abuse—is part of a larger, ongoing redemption story that includes his incredible 200-pound weight loss. His commitment to better health and his marriage are viewed as parallel paths of self-improvement, demonstrating his dedication to being a better man, father, and husband.
