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Inside Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo’s Journey to Parenthood via IVF: ‘They’re Not Ready to Give Up’
Jelly Roll and wife Bunnie Xo are trying to have a baby via in vitro fertilization (IVF), but the journey has been “difficult,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style.
“Jelly Roll just wants Bunnie to be happy and that meant doing whatever it took to get her pregnant. Unfortunately, it’s been a difficult road,” the insider explains.
“She knows the odds were against her, but they didn’t want to have any regrets,” the source continued about Bunnie, 44. She and Jelly Roll, 40, have been married since August 2016, but don’t have biological children of their own.
“Carrying her own was a dream, so there’s a lot of sadness surrounding that journey,” the source says of the “Dumb Blonde” podcaster, whose real name is Alyssa DeFord. “But they have faith. That’s why they’re not ready to give up.”
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, and his wife are exploring other ways to have a baby of their own. “The surrogate option is back on the table and they’re super grateful for that,” the insider dishes.
Bunnie gave fans an update on how IVF was going during a TikTok video on March 4.
“I’m literally going through IVF treatments right now — the hormones, the shots, all that,” she told listeners. “I’m going through all of the emotions, the roller-coaster, [and] the worry, just so that I can have a little piece of my husband and me — just a little piece wrapped in skin — to just add to the other two beautiful children that we have together.”
Bunnie is a loving and active stepmom to Jelly Roll’s daughter Bailee Ann, 16. The “Save Me” singer and Bunnie have full custody of the teen, whose mother is his ex-girlfriend Felicia Beckwith.
The couple is also helping raise his son Noah, 8, whom Jelly Roll shares with ex Melisa Ann Cowell. She has primary custody, but the trio happy coparent the child, whose nickname is “Buddy.”
Bunnie revealed on the January 2 episode of “Dumb Blonde” that she had suffered several pregnancy loses in her life and was finally ready to have a baby.
“I just feel like I’ve been healing so much trauma with my parents that I finally am ready to be a parent,” she said. “Like, I’ve helped raise Bailee since she was 7, and I think that also showed me that, hey, I’m not gonna f–k up a kid’s life too badly.”
“But I feel like I’ve mastered … not mastered, but I feel like I can do this. You know?” she added. “And I just want a little piece of J and I together.”
The former sex worker told listeners in July 2024 that her past pregnancy losses — which include two ectopic pregnancies— could affect her ability to carry a child.
“I would have trouble carrying a baby,” Bunnie shared. “I feel like I’ve accomplished so much in my life. And the only thing that’s left is to raise a baby and garden.” She then joked, “I’m in my baby mama gardening era.”
The entrepreneur told listeners that Jelly Roll was thrilled when she broached the subject of having children together. She revealed his response was, “I would love to have a baby with you.”
Bunnie said that the CMA winner was “really excited about” the prospect of having a child together, saying that he was open to going down the surrogacy route.
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