Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's surprising separation date revealed in divorce filing

Jelly Roll has filed for divorce from his wife Bunnie Xo, with court documents revealing the pair had actually separated more than a week before the filing went public.

The country star, real name Jason DeFord, filed in Williamson County, Tennessee on May 18, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.

The paperwork lists the couple's official separation date as May 9, citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason behind the split.

Around a week before separating, the 41-year-old and Bunnie, real name Alisa DeFord, were supporting his 18-year-old daughter Bailee at her prom, documenting the night on social media with Bunnie referring to the pair as "Maw & Paw of the Prom Queen."

Jelly Roll has filed for divorce from his wife Bunnie Xo, with court documents revealing the pair had actually separated more than a week before the filing went public (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy).

Then on May 9 itself, the same day they're now said to have separated, Bunnie posted a TikTok of herself, Jelly and Bailee together, captioned 'Never believed in ever after happily until y'all.'

How long were Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll married

Jelly and Bunnie married in a secret courthouse ceremony on August 30, 2016, the same night he proposed, following a year of dating.

They renewed their vows at the same chapel in 2023. Jelly is also dad to nine-year-old son Noah, with both of his children from previous relationships, though Bunnie has long embraced her role as stepmother to them.

As recently as February, the pair attended the 2026 Grammy Awards together, where Jelly took home Best Contemporary Country Album and got emotional thanking Bunnie during his acceptance speech.

"I would have never changed my life without you," he said at the time.

"I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn't for you and Jesus."

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO are parting ways after almost a decade of marriage (John Shearer/Getty Images)

The couple have never shied away from discussing the rocky parts of their relationship either.

In her 2026 memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, Bunnie revealed Jelly had a 10-month affair back in 2018.

Jelly addressed it himself in an October 2025 interview, calling it "one of the worst moments in my adulthood," while adding he was 'proud of who we are today."

More recently, the pair had opened up about wanting to start a family together, including the difficulties they'd faced with IVF. Bunnie wrote in her memoir that the couple had found a surrogate and were hoping to welcome twins.

"I think we're just ready for a piece of us,' she told PEOPLE back in January.

"It has not been easy, but I know that God has a plan and he's going to make it work."