Jelly Roll appeared ringless at CMA Fest on June 6, just weeks after court records show he secretly filed for divorce from Bunnie Xo on May 18. The moment landed against a backdrop of years of public openness about their marriage, including an affair disclosed
For a split second at CMA Fest, it looked like a missing detail—until it didn’t.
On June 6, Jelly Roll took the stage at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest without his wedding ring. The absence was noticeable enough to draw attention just weeks after he filed for divorce from Bunnie Xo.
Court records place the filing in Williamson County, Tennessee, dated May 18. That gap—between paperwork and performance—turned a routine concert moment into something sharper for fans watching closely.
The story between Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo has never been kept entirely private. They first crossed paths at one of Jelly’s concerts at the Country Saloon in Las Vegas in 2015. Their connection deepened quickly. leading to an engagement the following year. and they chose a courthouse wedding later—keeping the ceremony private.
Years down the road, in 2023, they returned to the same chapel to renew their vows.
But even as their relationship endured—and played out in public—there were also signals of a couple still building a future together. In February, they attended the 2026 Grammys as a pair. When Jelly Roll won Best Contemporary Country Album. he used his acceptance speech to thank his “beautiful wife. ” saying. “I want to thank my beautiful wife. … I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”.
That mixture of devotion and hardship has been part of their public story for years, including what Bunnie Xo shared in her 2026 memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic. In that book, she revealed that Jelly Roll was involved in a 10-month affair back in 2018.
Sharing why she decided to lay it all out, Bunnie Xo told Us Weekly in February, “It’s just really important to be real. My husband is my best friend. I f****** love that man — and we have been through hell. … It’s a part of what we’ve survived — we choose to be together every day.”
Jelly Roll addressed the memoir earlier this year as well, admitting the experience wasn’t easy. “It was rough at times just for me to read it. … But reading the whole book and seeing where it ended at is really touching,” he told People.
He also praised her for telling her story without softening the edges. “I’m just proud of her for telling her story so unapologetically. She talks about everything fearlessly, from domestic assault to sexual assault. I’m just proud of her. She’s so brave,” he said.
Even the future plans described in the memoir sounded hopeful. Bunnie Xo. who is a stepmom to Jelly’s two children. wrote that she and Jelly were hoping to welcome twins via surrogacy. She discussed a challenging IVF journey. saying they had found a surrogate and were aiming for twins “in the near future.”.
“We’re going to raise these babies in love and give them everything we were never given. I can’t wait to see a piece of me and him running around outside of our bodies. ” she wrote. adding. “With how much IVF has advanced over the years and with the help of the most unselfish woman willing to carry twins for us. we’ll be able to make our baby dreams come true.”.
All of it makes the CMA Fest ringless appearance hit harder—not because the absence alone proves anything. but because it landed so close to the divorce filing dated May 18. Within weeks. a public-facing couple built on vows. awards. memoir revelations. and baby dreams now has court filings in Williamson County. Tennessee—and a stage moment in Nashville that felt. to many watching. like a quieter kind of goodbye.
Jelly Roll Bunnie Xo CMA Fest Nissan Stadium divorce filing Williamson County Tennessee wedding ring 2026 Grammys Best Contemporary Country Album Stripped Down Unfiltered and Unapologetic IVF surrogacy twins
Wait so he just… forgot the ring? Or is this like a whole divorce thing now?
People are acting like one ring means everything. Like maybe he took it off for the show or something. But yeah the timing with the filing is wild.
Court records says May 18 and then he’s up there June 6. That means they were already done before the Grammys too, right? I’m confused because he thanked her like she saved him. Sounds like PR maybe.
Nashville really zooms in on the tiniest stuff 😂 like he didn’t have a ring so everyone’s like “divorce!” Meanwhile dude might’ve lost it, or it’s just stuck in his pocket, idk. Also the article says “affair disclosed” which like… I never know what to believe anymore with celebrities. If he was engaged then divorced already, that doesn’t even add up in my head.