Alyssa “Bunnie Xo” DeFord is widely recognized for her marriage to country-rap star Jelly Roll and for hosting the popular podcast Dumb Blonde. But long before building her media brand, she says she had to fight her way out of a turbulent and traumatic past.
The 46-year-old Las Vegas native grew up in a trailer park and endured severe abuse within her stepmother’s family, leaving home at just 14 years old. Speaking to People, she reflected on how growing up around violence shaped her, saying no child deserves that kind of environment.
Despite being told she would never succeed, Bunnie says she always carried an unshakable belief that things would eventually fall into place. Even when others doubted her, she felt her moment would come.
She has openly discussed her past struggles, including prostitution, drug addiction, homelessness, sexual assault, and an abortion at 16. Between 1999 and 2006, she was arrested seven times, with her final arrest at age 26 for soliciting an undercover officer in a casino. In a candid Instagram post last November, she described that period as one marked by addiction, emotional numbness, and what she called a “perpetual victim mentality.”
Bunnie admitted she reached a breaking point, growing tired of self-destructive patterns and realizing she had to take accountability. As she put it, she came to understand that she had been both the cause of her problems and the key to fixing them.
Although she eventually transitioned away from that life, she continued working as a high-end escort until 2020 and remained active on OnlyFans until 2023. She has said that much of her past behavior stemmed from searching for validation and love, particularly trying to fill emotional gaps left from childhood. What once felt like reclaiming power, she now sees as survival mode.
Now, she emphasizes personal responsibility and transparency, saying that sharing her story means owning every part of it — the good, the bad, and the painful.
Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, has also been open about his troubled youth. He was incarcerated roughly 40 times beginning at age 13 for offenses ranging from marijuana possession to probation violations and drug-related charges. He has said the birth of his daughter, Bailee Ann, now 17, motivated him to change. He is also father to nine-year-old Noah Buddy.
Today, Bunnie says she feels grounded and at peace. Her 304-page memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, will be published by Dey Street Books next week, already boasting tens of thousands of presales. She is also preparing to launch a four-date book tour beginning at 92NY in Manhattan, which has already sold out.
Meanwhile, Jelly Roll is set to headline La Cura Fest in Hermosillo on March 14 before kicking off The Big A** Stadium Tour alongside Post Malone in Fort Lauderdale on April 10.
