Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll have navigated a transformative journey, evolving from the wreckage of infidelity to a place of radical honesty and redefined boundaries. These intimate details are at the heart of Bunnie’s newly released memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic.
In the book, which debuted on February 17, Bunnie provides a transparent look at a particularly painful chapter: her husband’s 10-month affair. While the physical betrayal was significant, Bunnie shares in excerpts via E! News that the emotional weight of the situation was what truly devastated her. She discovered that the country star had arranged a home for his mistress, allegedly hoping she would help care for his daughter, Bailee.
“That’s what made me sick,” Bunnie writes, reflecting on the realization. She explains that the hurt didn’t stem solely from the sexual transgression, but from the fact that he wanted another woman to step into a maternal role for the child Bunnie had grown to love so deeply.
Today, the couple stands on much firmer ground. Beyond co-parenting Bailee and Jelly Roll’s son, Noah, the pair are currently expanding their family, working with a surrogate to welcome twins via IVF—a process Bunnie also documents in her writing. However, the path to reconciliation was neither quick nor easy. Bunnie admits it took years to dismantle the walls built by the affair and to truly feel that she was an essential part of his life rather than someone “disposable.”
Jelly Roll has been equally candid about his failings. During an appearance on the Human School podcast last October, the Grammy-nominated artist described the affair as one of the lowest points of his adult life, acknowledging the emotional labor required to repair the trust he broke.
The memoir also serves to clarify long-standing rumors regarding their marital structure. While Bunnie has previously mentioned a level of openness in their sex life, she uses Stripped Down to distinguish between an “open” and a “free” relationship. She explains that her initial willingness to include third parties was a defense mechanism—a way to preempt the pain of the traditional cheating she had experienced in past relationships.
“J has always told me that I can sleep with other men if I want to,” she notes, clarifying that they view themselves as partners rather than possessions. Despite this unconventional philosophy, the “free” nature of their bond didn’t prevent the emotional affair from happening, forcing both to confront deeper internal issues.
Reflecting on the situation during a recent sit-down with Howard Stern, Bunnie shared how she used the experience for self-growth. Rather than simply assigning blame, she looked at the patterns in her own life and chose to lead with empathy. “I just knew that something was so special in my husband,” she told Stern. “I knew he would become the man he is today; he just needed someone to love him.”
Watch Bunnie Xo discuss the intricacies of her relationship and the healing process on The Howard Stern Show below.
