What Bunnie Xo's Relationship With Jelly Roll's Kids Is Really Like
The following article mentions child abuse and addiction.
Jason Bradley DeFord, better known as Jelly Roll, has certainly taken the music industry by storm. While his talents as an artist were enough to earn him accolades and the respect of his industry peers, Jelly Roll's tragic background made his ascension even more inspiring. Although he's changed his life for the better, what never changed was his role as a partner and dedicated father. In 2008, Jelly Roll introduced Bailee Ann DeFord into the world, and in 2016, he added Noah Buddy DeFord to his family.
Jelly Roll's wife, Bunnie Xo, is also a major part of his story. He met the content creator in 2015, and they tied the knot just a year later. On top of maintaining a YouTube channel and podcast series, Bunnie also became a parental figure when she linked up with Jelly Roll. Though their family's dynamic might not be the most traditional on paper, it's clear that Bunnie Xo has embraced her maternal role with open arms. Here's what to know about Bunnie's relationship with her stepchildren, Bailee and Noah.
Bunnie Xo supported Jelly Roll during his custody battle
In May 2008, Jelly Roll learned that his ex-girlfriend Felicia Beckwith gave birth to their daughter, Bailee Ann DeFord. Jelly Roll was in jail at the time, but when he got out, he was determined to be in his kid's life. However, as he shared in Hulu's "Jelly Roll: Save Me," Beckwith didn't let him see Bailee as much as he'd hoped. What's more, Beckwith's own struggles with addiction only continued to escalate as Bailee got older.
For a period of time, Jelly Roll didn't know if he could ever get full custody, as he didn't have a permanent residence or a sustainable job. That all changed when he met the woman who is now his wife. As Bunnie Xo said on a 2024 episode of the "Wife of the Party" podcast, "I just told him straight up, 'You know, like no matter what happens with us, I will help you get that little girl.'"
Tragically, Bunnie Xo was abandoned by her own mother, and when she heard about Bailee's situation at Beckwith's home, it struck a chord. "Bailee didn't even have a bed," she recalled on the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast. "She was sleeping on a chair, and she was there taking care of her two or three little cousins, making them food, and literally all she was doing was making them bread with peanut butter on it, and it broke my heart." In 2017, Bunnie and Jelly Roll gained full custody of Bailee.
Bailee Ann DeFord and Bunnie Xo's bond took time
Given Bunnie Xo and Bailee Ann DeFord's tight-knit relationship, one would assume their mother-daughter connection was instant. The two, however, have acknowledged that it took a while for them to be comfortable with each other. Since Bailee came from a destructive household, she had her suspicions about Bunnie from the start. As Bunnie shared on Josh Wolf's podcast, "Hey Maaan," she had a serious conversation with Bailee early on in her relationship with Jelly Roll. "When J and I got married, the first conversation Bailee and I had was in a Burger King," Bunnie recalled. "She's a child — I'm talking like 7 years old — she's like, 'So, what are your intentions with my dad?' And I said, 'I love him.'" And I was like, 'I want to be with him.'"
Bailee's concerns about Bunnie didn't fizzle out right away, but they eventually built a strong connection. On Bunnie's 42nd birthday, Bailee shared a heartfelt Instagram post dedicated to her stepmother, detailing the journey of their relationship. "I didn't really know how to feel about her since all I had ever known was Mom leaving me," she wrote. "It took me a while to get close. I'll be honest, I was scared. Skeptical of whether or not she would stay ... but she did."
Bunnie Xo tries to push Bailee Ann DeFord out of her comfort zone
While Bunnie Xo and Bailee Ann DeFord's relationship was off to an icy start, the tension cooled with the help of an Oreo milkshake. As Bunnie shared on the aforementioned episode of "Hey Maaan," she once suggested Bailee try an Oreo shake from Burger King. Bailee was adamant she wouldn't like it, but she gave it a shot anyway. Bailee not only enjoyed the shake, but realized that Bunnie was someone she could look to for advice. "It kind of set the precedent for our relationship," she said. "I really had to work and earn her trust."
Clearly, it's important to Bunnie that Bailee keep expanding her horizons, whether that mean ordering a dessert drink she's never had before or signing up for extracurriculars. During a 2019 episode of the "Dumb Blonde" podcast, Bunnie told her listeners that she keeps Bailee busy throughout the school year. "The only time she gets off is summertime," she stated. "So during fall, she has to choose an instrument and some other activities that she wants to do Monday through Friday."
In a 2020 episode of "Dumb Blonde," Bunnie stated that this has been the mindset she tries to instill in Bailee. "My thing with Bailee is I always try to make her try new s***. That's my thing. Ever since the first day we met, it's always just, try new s***," she said.
Bunnie Xo let Bailee Ann DeFord get into makeup at a young age
According to Bailee Ann DeFord, more often than not, Bunnie Xo can be a tougher parent than Jelly Roll. As Bailee shared on a 2019 episode of "Dumb Blonde," "Bunnie's more strict about most things, dad's more strict about certain things." That said, when Bailee started junior high and began experimenting with cosmetics, Bunnie didn't forbid her from wearing makeup. Rather, she found middle ground.
On the aforementioned episode of "Dumb Blonde," Bunnie let it slip that she was already impressed by her tween stepdaughter's makeup skills. "She does her makeup so f***ing good," she said. "That's one thing you don't know about Bailee is she is a little makeup artist." Jelly Roll, on the other hand, wasn't so thrilled about Bailee getting into the makeup game at her age. Bunnie acknowledged her husband's apprehension, adding that they did set some rules for Bailee when it came to makeup use. "Listen, I have bugged Bailee with the makeup too, but at this point, it's more like if you can't beat them you might as well join them, and the kid is insistent on doing makeup so we have a deal. ... Light makeup," she stated.
Bailee Ann DeFord hosted an episode of Bunnie Xo's podcast
In addition to being Jelly Roll's wife, Bunnie Xo is a well-known figure online. And yes, her family is featured in her content. From vlogs to mukbangs, Bailee Ann DeFord slowly became a regular co-star on Bunnie's YouTube channel. Her appearance on the channel began ramping up in 2020 while the two were in quarantine. After having her as a guest star on her podcast "Dumb Blonde" in 2019, Bunnie allowed her to make another appearance in February 2020 per the request of her fans. In May of that year, Bunnie handed over the controls to Bailee for one special episode.
In "Bailee Ann Flips the Script on Bunnie and Jelly!" Bailee opened the episode by enthusiastically introducing herself as the host alongside her parents. As the title suggested, the episode saw Bailee use the Q&A style of the podcast to ask her parents questions from the viewers, ranging from their inspirations to who would win in a game of Monopoly. And yes, there was plenty of family banter to go around.
Bailee closed out the episode by pretending that she'd usurped her stepmom's podcast. "So thank you, guys, for coming on to my podcast because it's not yours anymore, I'm taking it," she joked. "Now, get off my podcast."
Bunnie Xo encouraged Bailee Ann DeFord to reconnect with her birth mom
After Jelly Roll gained custody of Bailee Ann DeFord, Bailee grew estranged from her biological mom, Felicia Beckwith. In 2020, however, Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo hoped to stage a reunion between Beckwith and Bailee. As Jelly Roll and Bunnie shared in a vlog, they'd learned Beckwith had been sober for over a year and seemed to be moving in a positive direction. So, on Bailee's 12th birthday, Beckwith stopped by the house as a surprise. Naturally, the tears flowed.
Bunnie also invited Beckwith to appear on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast to talk about her prior relationship with Jelly Roll, overcoming addiction, and the mistakes she made as a parent. Near the end of the episode, they were joined by Bailee, and the three spoke about the importance of forgiveness. Though Bailee would express some fears of re-establishing a relationship with her biological mother, Bunnie advocated for the two to rebuild their broken bond. "This is your mom, and what was the one conversation that we had? ... Trust the situation, trust the process because, you know, you want to enjoy your mama here now, you know," she said. "We love this version of Mom, and we want to hold on to this as much as we can."
Bunnie Xo introduced Noah Buddy DeFord on TikTok
Near the beginning of his relationship with Bunnie Xo, Jelly Roll found out he had another child on the way — with another woman. Born on August 23, 2016, Jelly Roll and Melisa Ann Cowell became parents to Noah Buddy DeFord. By all accounts, Cowell and Jelly Roll seem to work well as co-parents. While Bailee Ann DeFord is no stranger to the public eye, her brother's life has been pretty private so far.
On June 1, 2023, Bunnie Xo took to TikTok to upload an adorable video of Noah. At the top of the clip, Bunnie ran off after asking, "Hey guys, can you watch my bonus son really quick?" And then, Noah ran up to the camera, said hi, and waved. "This is my first time doing a video so I might be a little ... I don't really know what to say that much, but can you take it easy on me," he added. As Bunnie shared in the TikTok post's caption, this was all Noah's idea. "He asked to do a video, so this is what we did. What a cutie pie," she wrote.
The next month, Bunnie made a follow-up video with Noah that gave the 6-year-old another chance to share his interests with the world. In the clip, he stated that his favorite color is red, his favorite "sport" is Pokémon, and his favorite family member is his sister Bailee.
Bunnie Xo is grateful for Noah Buddy DeFord's mother
Following his appearance on Bunnie Xo's TikTok page, fans couldn't help but notice the significant difference between Bailee Ann and Noah Buddy DeFord's position in the limelight. In 2023, Jelly Roll told Taste of Country that he keeps Noah's life private out of respect for Melisa Cowell. "With Bailee, I'm the full-time parent, I'm the judge, the jury, and the executioner when it comes to decisions with her," he said. "I try not to get in the way of what she (Melisa) is building over there, and I never want to step on her toes with what she's doing with him, that I want to just respect that boundary." Bunnie sure seems to respect this boundary as well. As Jelly Roll told the outlet, Bunnie got Melisa's approval before she uploaded those TikTok clips.
What's more, Bunnie seems to have a lot gratitude for Melisa. On July 14, 2023, Bunnie posted a photo she took with Noah and Melisa on Facebook. "Meet Noah's beautiful mommy, Melisa. I wanted y'all to get to see who baby mama No. 2 is because we have been so public about Bailee's mama, it's only fair y'all get to see and love her as well," she wrote. "She's one stand-up chick, and we couldn't imagine our lives without her."
Bunnie Xo is proud to be a hands-on parent
For Bunnie Xo, her journey into motherhood wasn't the easiest. Although it took her some time to get used to being a mom to Bailee Ann DeFord, she eventually grew to embrace the role rather than run away from it. After being abandoned by her own mother at a young age, Bunnie has prided herself on being the kind of mom she never had growing up. By all accounts, she's taken to stepmotherhood like a duck to water.
On the aforementioned episode of LeeAnn Kreischer's "Wife of the Party" podcast, Bunnie dug into how much it means to her to be able to a mother figure. After LeeAnn, who is the wife of comedian Bert Kreischer, expressed how involved she and Bert have been in their kids' lives, Bunnie shared that she and Jelly Roll have similar priorities when it comes to parenting. "We're so hands-on with her, and the only time when we aren't there, our niece, who is older, Kayla, holds it down for us," she said. LeeAnn and Bunnie also noted that they don't have nannies.
Bunnie Xo jokingly grounded Bailee Ann DeFord 'for life'
All jokes aside about dreading her daughter's teenage years, Bunnie Xo has been supportive of Bailee Ann DeFord as she grows up. So much so that right before her 16th birthday, Bunnie took her to buy her first car. In a TikTok video commemorating the big moment, the soon-to-be 16-year-old appeared enthusiastic while Bunnie sarcastically stated that if she ever gets in trouble, her car will be the first to go: "I can't wait until you get in trouble and I can take your car away from you for the first time."
Surprisingly enough, it didn't take long before Bailee found herself in hot water. Instead of taking her car, Bunnie headed to TikTok to playinfully reprimand her. With the help of a security camera, Bailee was caught red-handed sneaking out of the house with a friend. Her plans seemingly backfired as footage showed the two walking home after their security guards sent them back. Paired with the video was the song "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance and a caption that read "Grounded for life." While the situation could've been more serious than presented, the unlucky attempt to gain some freedom made for a funny story for the two rather than a harsh lesson.
Bunnie Xo has stood up for Bailee Ann DeFord
As a content creator, Bunnie Xo has received hate over the internet for as long as she's been active on it. Unfortunately, that's one of the downsides that can come with being a public figure. While Bunnie may be able to look the other way when she is the only intended target, she goes into full-on defense mode whenever the haters come for her family.
On February 17, 2024, Bunnie headed to TikTok some excerpts from a "Dumb Blonde" episode that would be coming out later that week. In the episode, Bailee opened up about her complicated history with her biological mother, Felicia Beckwith. The teen shared a number of startling details about her younger years, including one instance in particular when Beckwith apparently encouraged her to use hard drugs. "I ended up trying it because she's, like I said, manipulative, and she did the mom thing," she said.
Before the podcast episode was released, a fan called out Bailee for talking about her biological mother the way she did. In turn, Bunnie responded with a three-minute TikTok in defense of her stepdaughter. "For a 16-year-old to have gone through what she's already gone through, it's pretty heavy dude," she stated. "And if she wants to help people, we're 100% going to help her scream it from the mountain tops."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, or may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the relevant resources below:
- Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
- Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.