Bunnie Xo’s “Unapologetic” Memoir Is Being Turned Into a Movie

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Bunnie Xo’s memoir is getting the Hollywood treatment.

Bunnie Xo, wife of singer Jelly Roll, announced that her revealing memoir will be made into a movie. Considering everything she’s overcome, Bunnie (whose real name is Alisa DeFord) says she’s still amazed by the news. Her book, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, came out last month.

Sharing my story in this book was incredibly personal and challenging,” she recently told Variety. “I wrote it as honestly and openly as I could, and it’s amazing to see it come to life on screen – something I never expected.”

Bunny XO, who has been married to Jelly Roll since 2016, hopes the new film will share the same positive and encouraging themes as her book.

Bunnie is excited for audiences to feel the full range of emotions – the chaos, sadness, laughter, and ultimately, the hope – that the film offers. She hopes the movie’s main message is that while the past and difficult experiences shape us, they don’t define us; it’s how we overcome them that truly matters, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

101 Studios, the company that created Taylor Sheridan’s Landman and Yellowstone, has obtained the rights to Bunnie’s book, and it’s packed with material for them to use. Bunnie was very open and honest in her memoir, leaving nothing out.

The host of the Dumb Blonde podcast shared her life story, covering her childhood in a trailer park, her previous work as an escort, her journey to sobriety, and the challenges and joys of her relationship with Jelly Roll (born Jason Bradley DeFord).

Bunnie shared details about her life, including her and Jelly Roll’s plans to have more children using a surrogate. Jelly Roll is already a father to Bailee, 17, and Noah, 9, from previous relationships.

As someone who’s navigated motherhood before, I’m so excited for Bunnie as she prepares for twins! She’s really planning to lean on everything she’s learned from her previous experiences – it’s wonderful to see her confidently applying that wisdom to this new chapter.

As a parent myself, I always say it’s about learning and growing alongside your kids. That’s definitely been my experience, and it sounds like Bunnie and her partner are embracing that too! She recently shared with TopMob News that becoming parents to Bailee coincided with their own journeys to sobriety, meaning they’re approaching parenthood with a fresh, more playful, and perhaps more understanding perspective – really aiming to be the kind of childlike parents their daughter deserves.

We were changing and developing, and Bailee helped us through that. Now, we’re starting to have another group of children, and we feel like they’ll get to experience the fun, carefree parts of life that we missed out on. We’re really looking forward to reliving our childhoods through them.

Want to find out what other surprising revelations from Bunnie’s memoir might be included in the new movie? Keep reading to learn more…

Let me tell you a little story! Back in August 2015, I was actually dating someone when I first met Jelly Roll. He was opening for the Moonshine Bandits at a little place in Las Vegas called the Country Saloon, and honestly, it was a night I’ll never forget. Little did I know then just how big he would become!

He completely melted her tough exterior. As she later wrote in her memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, she was, in her own words, “mesmerized.”

She confessed he wasn’t someone she’d usually be attracted to. However, when they shook hands, she felt an incredible connection – like a powerful, instant recognition. It felt as though she’d known him forever and had been searching for him her whole life.

She doesn’t remember the specifics of his performance, but she took lots of videos of him. She wanted to really observe him – how he moved and spoke. She admits she’d never paid much attention to Southern accents before, but that night she was captivated. She clearly remembers thinking he had a bright future and would become famous.

Bunnie and Jelly Roll had been connecting for months through texts and online chats. She often had company while talking to him, and she found herself constantly thinking about his charming smile. So, she was overjoyed when he told her he was filming a music video in Las Vegas.

I usually go for strong, edgy guys—like goth or emo types who wear eyeliner,” Bunnie said. “He wasn’t really my style, and I definitely wasn’t his. So, I have no idea why, the moment we met, I felt like he was the one. It just didn’t make any sense.”

After spending an evening at a lively country bar, she said the connection between them was electric. They were immediately attracted to each other and couldn’t stop touching.

Bunnie recounted returning to her penthouse in Las Vegas, where she initiated intimacy, removing her clothes and beginning to undress her partner. However, she revealed he didn’t reciprocate her advances.

He then asked about her plans for the future – what she hoped to achieve in the next five years. “I was annoyed, but also curious, so I moved closer and lay down beside him, putting my arm around him,” Bunnie explained. “That’s when I began sharing all my hopes and dreams with him.”

She shared her dreams of hosting a talk show and starting a family, while he talked about his music career and his desire to gain custody of his teenage daughter, Bailee.

Bunnie wrote that they spent hours talking and imagining their future together, sharing everything honestly. She said it was the most open and honest conversation of her life.

Bunnie observed that J was unlike anyone she’d known before, but she still felt a connection to him. She admitted he fit her usual type – a tattooed man with a criminal past and history of drug dealing. However, she also saw that he was actively trying to change his life and move in a positive direction, much like herself.

I remember when we first talked, he asked what I did for work. I was completely honest with him right away. I told him, ‘I’m a call girl, and I make really good money.’ I explained that there are different levels to this kind of work, and I guess you could say I’m one of the higher-end providers.

And Jelly certainly did. 

She explained that he wasn’t bothered at all. He told her, ‘I admire your drive and resourcefulness, and I have no issues with how you’ve handled things.’ She added that from the very beginning, he never judged her for the steps she took to get by.

When she started traveling with him, she updated her website with her tour dates, letting clients know where she’d be. As Bunnie explained, she had a full schedule before each flight even landed.

Jelly shared that her relationship was unique because she and her boyfriend accepted each other completely, without either one trying to change the other. She felt truly comfortable and unpressured.

Oh my god, you will NOT believe what happened! They just… did it! August 2016, completely on a whim, they got married in Vegas! And Jelly? He proposed backstage at a show! Bunnie actually confessed she was terrified, like, genuinely scared, even though she knew their connection was unlike anything she’d ever felt. She said she wasn’t sure she could even trust herself to take such a huge step – can you imagine?! It’s just… everything!

She admitted, “I thrive on doing things on a whim. It was incredibly exciting, and I really enjoyed the intensity of it. Would it likely fall apart? Definitely—but we’d at least have a good story to tell.”

They celebrated all the way to the courthouse, playing Jagged Edge‘s “Let’s Get Married” and Bruno Mars‘ “Gorilla.” As Bunnie put it, “We were feeling amazing—in every sense of the word!”

She described herself as being heavily under the influence of cocaine on her wedding day, and woke up the next morning, still feeling awful and in a torn black dress, wondering if getting married had been a mistake.

Their first major argument happened soon after, and it led to a serious talk while they were looking out over the Grand Canyon. Jelly Roll made it clear he only would have married her if he truly meant it.

Bunnie explained that J’s single sentence instantly eased all her anxieties. She’d always felt like nothing in her life was truly permanent—relationships could end easily, and no one seemed to be planning a future with her. But J was different; he envisioned a long-term commitment and saw a future with her.

Seven years later they returned to that Vegas chapel to renew their vows.

She’s always been attracted to guys who are a bit rebellious. “Before me, J was known for dating around,” Bunnie admitted. “He was seeing several women for years at the same time.”

That includes the mother of his son Noah, born a week before his dad’s Vegas vows. 

Bunnie explained that Jelly Roll and his previous partner had a complicated relationship lasting around ten years. She described it as unhealthy, but they worked together to raise their son. She also mentioned she and Jelly Roll started dating while she was already eight or nine months pregnant.

Bunnie admits things were difficult with her husband’s former partner at first, but now she genuinely loves and admires her as a person and a mother. She’s grateful to have someone who understands her husband as well as she does.

When Bunnie first met Bailee, who was only seven years old at the time, Bailee may have actually helped Bunnie avoid making some bad choices.

Bunnie explained that after a few months of marriage, she and Jelly Roll were on the verge of gaining full custody of Bailee, as the child’s mother was struggling with a severe drug addiction.

Bunnie began each day by taking a mix of medications – half a Lortab, a quarter of a Xanax, and a diet pill – which made her realize she needed to make some changes in her life.

She explained she didn’t want to make things any harder for the child, who had already been through so much. Getting sober, at the very least, would prevent her from causing further pain.

Thinking of Bailee helped me make a change,” Bunnie explained. “I stopped taking pills and using cocaine completely, but I knew it would take me longer to stop drinking alcohol.

Okay, so Bunnie made the big decision to join Jelly Roll on the drive all the way to Tennessee! Honestly, leaving Vegas was hard for her, but she was ready for the adventure. It’s always tough saying goodbye to the excitement of the city, but sometimes you’ve just gotta follow your heart – and a country star, apparently!

Bunnie admitted she was feeling homesick and overwhelmed by the demands of being a full-time mother, especially because of her difficult relationship with her own stepmother. She found herself longing for her previous life in Las Vegas. Everything had changed so quickly – within months, she went from freedom to a life filled with responsibility and routine, things she’d successfully avoided since leaving home at fourteen. These pressures were starting to strain her marriage.

Bunnie described girls from her past who, after she arrived in town, intentionally tried to make her life difficult.

After Bailee had her tonsils removed, Bunnie found herself arguing with Jelly Roll constantly. A few days later, she woke up, packed her bags, and left. “Looking back, I truly believe I’ll always stand by my family,” Bunnie explained. “But at that time, I didn’t. I could try to justify leaving with a lot of reasons, but it really came down to being terrified.”

Bunnie quickly realized she’d made a mistake and soon found a large five-bedroom house in Las Vegas for everyone to live in together. She explained it was her attempt to make things right with Bailee and her partner, a way of showing them she was fully committed and would prove it through her actions, not just promises.

However, Jelly Roll quickly changed his mind. “Out of nowhere, he decided to cancel everything,” Bunnie explained, adding that she was completely surprised.

Five months after moving to Las Vegas, Jelly Roll told Bunnie they were going back to Nashville. Bunnie later revealed the real reason for the move wasn’t what Jelly Roll initially said. He had been secretly communicating with a former girlfriend—someone he’d briefly dated before they got together. Bunnie had suspected something was wrong, but couldn’t confirm it. She also realized both she and Jelly Roll were still dealing with unresolved emotional pain and hadn’t fully learned how to love healthily.

Even though she sensed his invitation to join them in Tennessee wasn’t entirely sincere, she accepted, saying she would never leave their little family again.

Bunnie explained that she believed allowing other women into their bedroom would prevent future infidelity, based on past experiences. However, she clarified that they weren’t in an open relationship, but generally wouldn’t have refused if someone wanted to join them.

Bunnie mentioned that if she ever wanted to be with someone else, her partner, “J,” had previously said she was free to do so. Initially, this openness hurt her feelings – she wondered if a lack of jealousy meant he didn’t love her deeply. However, she later came to understand his perspective.

She explained that they both believe in maintaining their independence within the relationship, and see it as a free connection rather than simply an open one.

Bunnie made it clear that while she valued independence, honesty was paramount. She insisted, “Just don’t lie to me, and always be upfront with me.”

She strongly suspected something was happening between Jelly Roll and a woman he used to be involved with. “For a year, this woman harassed me online,” she explained. “She’d share lyrics from his songs, show off his merchandise in photos, and make subtle, hurtful comments in her posts, knowing I suspected her. I just couldn’t find any proof.”

Bunnie explained that when she questioned Jelly Roll about his posts, he would manipulate her and make her feel like she was the one with the problem, making her doubt her own sanity.

Couples’ therapy didn’t help, and things continued to deteriorate for ten months, according to Bunnie. Eventually, their relationship reached a breaking point and completely fell apart.

She came home from a trip to find her husband had already left their house in Nashville. A conversation with his best friend’s wife sadly confirmed what she had feared – he wasn’t coming back.

Bunnie shared that she had considered suicide that night. She explained the pain she was feeling was overwhelming and she simply wanted it to stop.

Instead of staying, she drove back to Las Vegas and found out on Instagram that Jelly Roll had already announced their breakup, even though he’d said he would wait a few months before doing so.

Bunnie explained that after everything that happened – the disagreements, the pain, and all the drama – she’d finally had enough of J. She decided she was done talking to him for good.

They were completely committed to each other, through thick and thin, as Bunnie put it. She recounted how he told her a story – “about a drug dealer’s daughter he met at a bar” – and she readily believed it.

Until a random number began blowing up his phone. 

It suddenly occurred to me,” Bunnie said. “It was her ex—he was still involved somehow, even though he’d insisted they’d broken up completely.”

Her trust in Jelly Roll demolished, she reached out to his affair partner for the full story. 

Bunnie explained that she found out he bought a house for them and wanted his girlfriend to be a stay-at-home mom to his daughter, Bailee. She said what bothered her most wasn’t a physical affair, but the emotional betrayal and the idea of him wanting another woman to raise a child she had grown to love.

Bunnie explained that even though she eventually forgave Jelly Roll, the experience changed how she loved him. “You don’t stop loving someone who hurt you,” she said, “but your heart becomes more cautious and a little broken.”

Bunnie was clear that things weren’t simply back to normal, admitting their disagreements became heated. She even confessed to hitting Jelly Roll after he expressed no remorse for his actions.

She wrote that it would take a long time to move past the affair and even longer to truly believe her partner loved her and didn’t see her as easily replaced.

Now nearly seven years into the pair’s fertility journey, the pieces are starting to come together. 

Bunnie shared that she discovered her Fallopian tubes were blocked, meaning she’d need surgery – and even then, there was no guarantee she could get pregnant. Thankfully, due to advancements in IVF and the incredible generosity of a surrogate willing to carry twins, they were able to pursue their dream of having a baby.

Their plan is to use her eggs and his sperm and try for twins. 

Bunnie responded to criticism about having children at her age with a defiant, ‘I don’t care.’ She explained that they plan to raise their children with all the love and support they lacked growing up, and she’s excited to watch their children grow and express themselves outside of their bodies.

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2026-03-12 23:19