Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie Xo, are staying grounded in faith as they navigate a deeply personal and emotional journey toward expanding their family.
In a heartfelt conversation with Maury Povich on her “Dumb Blonde” podcast, Bunnie — whose real name is Alisa DeFord — opened up about the highs and lows of her ongoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) journey. Despite the challenges, she said her faith in God keeps her centered.
“It is tough, but at the same time, it’s like, you just put it in God’s hands,” Bunnie shared. “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And if not, we can always adopt. I’m totally open to adoption too, and so is my husband.”
Povich, now 85, empathized with her struggle, recalling his and wife Connie Chung’s own fertility challenges decades earlier. “We went through the same stuff that you and Jelly Roll have gone through,” he said. “We tried to get pregnant. I’m telling you, this is over 30 years ago. So Connie had to take time off from CBS and it became a big story that we were trying to get pregnant.”
When their efforts were unsuccessful, the longtime TV couple made the decision to adopt — something Povich said changed their lives for the better. “That decision was the best I could have made,” he told Bunnie.
Bunnie, 40, has been transparent about her fertility struggles, sharing her story with honesty and hope on social media. Over the past year, she has let fans in on both the emotional lows and moments of encouragement. In June, she posted a tearful Instagram video celebrating what she called a “huge win” in her IVF process after months of waiting for good news.
“When you just got the call you’ve been waiting on for five months since this IVF journey started,” she captioned the video. “All the tears, the hopelessness & the struggle, God finally said, ‘Here.’”
Though she clarified that it wasn’t a pregnancy announcement, the update represented a powerful moment of hope for the couple. “This is not a pregnancy announcement — we won’t announce that,” she said. “This is just a huge win for us.”
Jelly Roll — whose real name is Jason DeFord — and Bunnie married in 2016, and she has lovingly embraced a maternal role with his two children from previous relationships, daughter Bailee Ann and son Noah Buddy.
As they continue their journey to grow their family, Bunnie says she’s trusting that God’s timing is perfect. Her openness has inspired countless fans who see her story as a reminder that even in uncertainty, faith can be an anchor.