You’ll Never Guess the Celebrity Bunnie Xo Wants to Play Her in Movie

by

Bunnie Xo is ready for her next chapter.

With news that her popular memoir, Stripped Down, is becoming a movie, the 46-year-old has thought about who she’d want to play her on screen.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 12th, Bunnie playfully declared, “Jack Black is daddy, okay?” which received a big laugh and applause from the audience.

Although Jack Black might seem like an unexpected pick for a biographical film, his casting wasn’t the only surprising announcement the author made.

Bunnie (whose real name is Alisa DeFord) shared her thoughts on why her husband, Jelly Roll, has been reluctant to read her memoir. The book covers her experiences as an escort in Las Vegas and her struggles with drug addiction.

She went on to say she doubted her husband had actually read the book, explaining that he’d experienced everything in it alongside her. She also wondered why any husband would want to hear about his wife’s perspective before his own.

Bunnie mentioned that Jelly Roll (whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord) has been a good sport about the book doing well. She jokingly said he pretends to have read it, saying, ‘He kind of fibs and says, ‘Oh yeah, I read the book,’ but I know he hasn’t!’

Bunnie shared that while her husband, the singer of “Son of a Sinner,” hasn’t finished reading her book yet, she didn’t actually write it with him in mind.

She began writing the story in 2019, simply wanting to share her experiences. Her hope was that it would resonate with others and maybe even motivate them, and she’s been surprised by how much it has grown since then.

Bunnie explained that writing the book was a very healing experience. She believes that difficult experiences can be turned into something meaningful – pain can become a purpose, and challenges can become a story of strength – and that’s exactly what she aimed to achieve with this book.

To discover more about what’s inside Stripped Down, including the story of Bunnie and Jelly Roll’s relationship, continue reading.

Bunnie Xo was already in a relationship in August 2015 when she first met Jelly Roll. He was performing as an opening act for the Moonshine Bandits at the Las Vegas Country Saloon at the time.

He completely broke down her emotional defenses. As she later wrote in her memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, she admitted to being—and she hesitated to say it—utterly captivated.

She confessed that he wasn’t someone she’d usually be attracted to, but when they shook hands, it felt incredibly powerful – like a cosmic connection. She felt an instant recognition, as if 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 admitted she’d never been attracted to a Southern accent before, but that night was different. 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 chats. She’d often be in compromising situations when he called, and she couldn’t stop 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 usual taste, and I definitely wasn’t his. So I have no idea why, the moment we met, it felt like I’d known him forever. It just…happened, and I couldn’t figure out why.

Let me tell you, sometimes the most unexpected sparks fly! I remember one night, after a fun evening at a country bar, the connection with someone was just electric. We instantly felt drawn to each other and couldn’t stop touching – it was that kind of immediate, undeniable chemistry.

Bunnie recounted returning to her penthouse in Las Vegas, where she initiated intimacy with a man by removing her clothes and beginning to undress him, but he did not reciprocate sexually. She stated, “and that man absolutely would not sleep with me.”

He then asked about her plans for the future – where she saw herself in 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.”

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

Bunnie recalled spending hours talking and imagining their future together. “We were completely open with each other,” she wrote. “It was the most honest conversation of my 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.

She wanted to be upfront about her past. When they first met, he asked about her job, and she told him the truth. As Bunnie explained, “I told him I was a sex worker, and that I earned a good income. There are different levels within this profession, and I’d say I was one of the more exclusive providers.”

And Jelly certainly did. 

She explained that he wasn’t at all bothered or intimidated. He told her, ‘I admire your drive and work ethic, and I have no issue with what you’ve done.’ She added that from the very beginning, he’d always been supportive and never made her feel ashamed of the things she did to get by.

When she started traveling with him, she updated her website to list the cities they would be visiting, which helped her book clients. As Bunnie explained, she was completely booked for appointments before their plane even landed.

Jelly said she finally found a relationship where both she and her partner accepted each other completely, without either one trying to change the other. She felt completely comfortable and unpressured in the relationship.

The couple’s impulsive August 2016 wedding in Las Vegas had lasting consequences. Bunnie confessed she was terrified when Jelly proposed to her backstage at a show, admitting she doubted her ability to commit to such a significant step, despite their unique connection.

She admitted, “I thrive on doing things on a whim. It was incredibly exciting, and I really loved the intensity of it. Would it likely fall apart? Definitely—but at least we’d 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.” Bunnie later admitted, “We were incredibly happy—and a little bit giddy.”

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

Their first real fight 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 life was fairly uncomplicated—relationships could end easily, and no one considered a future with her. But J was different; he envisioned a lasting relationship with her, seeing a future together.

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

She’s always been attracted to men who are a bit rebellious. Bunnie admitted, “J used to date a lot of women simultaneously and for extended periods before he met me.”

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

Bunnie explained that Jelly Roll and his ex had a complicated relationship lasting around ten years. Although it was unhealthy, they tried to work together to raise their son. She also mentioned she and Jelly Roll started dating while his ex-partner was eight or nine months pregnant.

Let me tell you, navigating a relationship with my husband’s ex was definitely challenging at first! But honestly, now I absolutely adore her. She’s become a wonderful woman and mother, and I’m so grateful to have her in our lives. It’s such a gift to have someone who truly gets my husband, just like I do.

Bailee, who was only seven years old when she first met Bunnie, may have actually helped the Dumb Blonde podcast host avoid a difficult situation.

Bunnie explained that after a few months of marriage, she and Jelly Roll were on the verge of gaining full custody of Bailee from her biological mother, who was struggling with 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, she believed, would prevent her from causing further trauma.

Thinking about 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.

Even though Bunnie was determined to travel with Jelly Roll all the way to his home in Tennessee, it was hard for her to leave Las Vegas.

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 – in just a few months, she went from a life of freedom to one filled with responsibility and routine, things she’d successfully avoided since leaving home at fourteen. She realized 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, she firmly believes she would never abandon her family, but admits she did on that occasion. She realizes there’s no good reason for leaving other than she was simply 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 way of making up for leaving Bailee and his father. She wanted to show them she was committed for the long haul, proving it through her actions rather than just words.

I was completely shocked when Jelly Roll suddenly decided to cancel everything. Bunnie said it was out of the blue – she really didn’t see it coming at all. It was so unexpected!

I was so shocked when Jelly Roll announced, just five months after their move, that he and Bailee were going back to Nashville. When I asked him why, he kept giving me reasons that just didn’t add up. Eventually, I found out he’d been talking to an old girlfriend – not a mother to any of his children, but someone he’d dated briefly before us. I’d suspected something was off, but couldn’t put my finger on it. Honestly, I could feel his hurt too. It was clear he was carrying a lot of old pain, wounds that hadn’t healed, and it seemed like neither of us really knew how to truly love yet.

Even though she suspected he wasn’t fully enthusiastic about her joining them in Tennessee, she accepted his invitation, saying she would never leave their little family again.

Bunnie explained that she believed allowing other women into their sexual encounters would prevent future infidelity, based on past experiences. However, she clarified that they didn’t have an open relationship, but were generally open to bringing women home with them.

Bunnie explained that if she ever wanted to be with someone else, her partner, J, had previously said it was okay for her to have relationships with other men. Initially, this openness hurt her feelings – she wondered if a lack of jealousy meant he didn’t truly love her. However, she later came to understand his perspective.

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

Bunnie made it clear that while she valued her friends’ independence, honesty was crucial. She insisted, ‘Just don’t lie to me, and always be upfront with me about everything.’

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 for even bringing it up.

Let me tell you, navigating relationship troubles can be really messy. We tried couples’ therapy, hoping it would help, but honestly, things just got worse. For ten months, it was constant arguing and a lack of trust. Eventually, it all came to a head in a pretty dramatic way – things completely fell apart, and it was a total disaster. It’s a tough reminder that sometimes, even with effort, things don’t work out, and it’s important to acknowledge when that happens.

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’d feared.

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, 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 several months before doing so.

Bunnie explained that after everything that had happened – the disagreements, the pain, and all the turmoil with J – she’d finally had enough. 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 recalled him telling a story – “about a drug dealer’s daughter he met at a bar” – and admitted, “And I believed him.”

Until a random number began blowing up his phone. 

It suddenly occurred to me,” Bunnie said. “It was her—her ex 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. 

Let me tell you, hearing the details of what happened was really tough. She explained that he bought a house for them, and his expectation was that she’d be a stay-at-home mom to his daughter, Bailee. Honestly, that’s what bothered me the most – it wasn’t even about a physical affair, it was the emotional betrayal and then asking her to step into a role as a mother figure to a little girl I had really grown to love. It just felt so wrong on so many levels.

Bunnie admitted that even after forgiving Jelly Roll, the experience left a lasting impact. “You don’t stop loving someone who’s hurt you, but the love changes,” she said. “It makes you more cautious, less willing to trust completely, and a little bit broken.”

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

Honestly, it took years to even start dealing with everything. Years just trying to believe he actually loved me, and that I wasn’t just…easily replaced. It completely messed me up, and the thought that he didn’t truly care haunted me for so long. I just needed to know I mattered to him, but it felt impossible for the longest time.

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, but even that wasn’t a guarantee she could have a baby. Thankfully, with advancements in IVF and the incredible generosity of a surrogate willing to carry twins, they were able to pursue their dream of becoming parents.

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

Honestly, some people have questioned our choice to have children at this point in our lives, and I’m not going to apologize for it. We’re incredibly excited to create a loving home for these little ones and give them all the opportunities we wished we’d had growing up. I’m just bursting with anticipation to watch a little bit of both of us grow and explore the world!

Read More

2026-03-13 23:51