Bunnie XO shares why she stepped back from the spotlight during IVF with Jelly Roll
Bunnie XO is opening up about the intense emotional and physical toll of her ongoing IVF journey with husband Jelly Roll, offering insight into her recent absence from public life.
Bunnie XO opens up on her podcast about stepping back from public life amid a taxing IVF journey with husband Jelly Roll, citing emotional strain.
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During a new episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast, the 45-year-old host, whose real name is Alyssa DeFord, addressed fans’ questions about why she and the 40-year-old country artist haven’t been seen together in recent months. She recounted a recent comment: “Somebody said the other day, they’re like, ‘They used to always be together. Now you never see them together.’” Bunnie responded by pointing out the demands of her fertility treatment, saying, “Do you guys not know for the past six months I’ve been trying to make a baby? Like, my husband has to work to f—k bring home the bacon.”
Bunnie elaborated that while Jelly Roll is committed to his public appearances, her own work-from-home flexibility has allowed her to focus on their IVF process. “I literally have been on IVF meds for f—king six months and going through heartbreak and f—king so much s—t,” she shared, revealing the depth of the journey’s challenges.
A rare exception to her low profile came in early August when Bunnie appeared at SummerSlam 2025, supporting Jelly Roll during his WWE debut against Logan Paul. Outside of this event, she has remained largely behind the scenes, prioritizing her health and the couple’s IVF process.
As stepmother to Jelly Roll’s children—16-year-old daughter Bailee Ann and 7-year-old son Noah Buddy—Bunnie has been transparent with her followers about the ups and downs of their path to parenthood. In late July, she reflected on the first half of the year via TikTok, sharing a photo of herself cuddling her pet cow and writing, “I’ve had to miss a lot of fun things, my body has been thru the ringer & honestly I’m exhausted mentally & physically. But, I can feel the light shifting. I’m finally coming out of the cocoon & trusting that God’s timing is never wrong.”
Earlier this summer, the couple received what Bunnie described as a major development in their IVF journey. She shared the emotional moment on Instagram: “When you just got the call you’ve been waiting on for 5 months since this ivf journey started. All the tears, the hopelessness & the struggle, God finally said, ‘Here.’” In response to speculation, she clarified, “This is not a pregnancy announcement – we won’t announce that. This is just a huge win for us.”
Back in March, Bunnie had spoken candidly about the isolating aspects of IVF, describing it as “just you and these hormones and the waiting and the egg retrieval … It’s a lot to bear.” Through ongoing honesty, she continues to shed light on a deeply personal journey.
