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16 Feb 2026 16:57
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Jelly Roll has insisted that marriage can not have a "one size fits all" approach to be successful

    The 40-year-old rapper - whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord - has been married to Bunnie XO since 2016 and insisted that embracing "change" is the key to the longevity of a relationship


    Speaking on 'The Pivot' podcast, he said: "I learned something in marriage, man. Anybody who tells you, 'It's a one size fits all,' [are gonna] get divorced.

    "You know what I'm saying? I can tell you that much.

    "Anybody who thinks their marriage is a one-size-fits-all all kind of glove, that's ending in the next decade for sure.

    "People are gonna change ... You better evolve with the motherf****** times ... That's the only choice you got, dude."

    The 'Save Me' hitmaker went through some of the "hardest" times with his wife -whose real name is Alyssa DeFord - during the first few years of marriage but insisted that things have improved immensely since then.

    He said: "I guess we went through the hardest s*** the first few years because, man, it's only getting smoother.

    "It's not even more like I'm just settled in. Like, it's not even that old stale marriage where they're just like, you know, like, we're roommates. You know what I mean?

    "It's like, we're just really getting better."

    Jelly - who has Bailee Ann, 16, and eight-year-old Noah Buddy from previous relationships - added that he now thinks of Bunnie as "his person" even though he used to dislike that term a lot.

    He said: "Dude, I love her, man ... That's my partner, man ... I used to hate it when people go, that's my person. But I'm like, she's my person. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's my person, dude."

    In 2024, the couple started having IVF in the hopes of having their own children and Jelly admitted that his 100lb weight loss was inspired by his desire to be around for his children.

    Appearing on the 'Bussin' With the Boys' podcast, Jelly - whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord - said: "I think it was realising that I just want to feel good ... My wife and I are talking about having a baby. And it really made me realise, at almost 40, I was like, 'That means I gotta live till at least 60. I gotta see this kid into college.'

    "I thought that every problem I ever had in life would be solved if I ever found any kind of success and stability.

    "And then I started to get success and stability and still none of those problems are solved. My plan was never to be 60. It was to be, like, 55. But now I'm like, 'Well, I'd like to see my 60s.' You know what I mean? And that really lit it up."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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