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Jelly Roll opened up to PEOPLE about how he and Bunnie Xo healed their relationship during difficult times
The country star and his wife married in Las Vegas in 2016
They briefly split in 2018 after Bunnie learned that Jelly had been having an affair with another woman
ForJelly Rolland wifeBunnie Xo, love is the glue to their relationship.
While chatting exclusively with PEOPLE at theStar Searchseason 1 finale on Feb. 17, the country music star, 41, opened up about how he and his wife, 46, healed their marriage during difficult times.
"Love, man. Love will always do it," he shared.
"Communication, just believing you're with the right person and believing that change can actually happen," he continued. "That's why we've been so honest about this story with everybody. We knew it would come with blowback, but our heart was to hope that somebody would hear it and believe that they could change."
Bunnie writes candidly about some of the couple's struggles in her new memoir,Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic— including the moment in 2018 when she learned that Jelly had been having a months-long affair with another woman. She recalled how the painful discovery led her to contemplate taking her own life that night.
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"The pain was so intense that I genuinely just wanted to end it all. I went into my bathroom and grabbed a bottle of pills I had stashed in case of an emergency and held them in my hand. I stared at the bottle, wondering what it would feel like to die from an overdose," she wrote in her book.
She said she ultimately talked herself out of the idea, and she and Jelly separated for three months before coming back together.
The "Save Me" singer previously spoke about the affair during an interview on theHuman Schoolpodcastlast year, calling it "one of the worst moments of my adulthood."
"Because it was the first time that I was like, 'I really can't get this right at all. I know I'm in love with this woman.' It just really, really, really blew me back," he said, explaining that he had to put in "a lot of work to repair" his relationship with Bunnie.
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"I wish our story would've went in the way that it never had an affair, and I'm in a way glad it happened, but man, I'm proud of who we are today," he added. "I truly am."
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During his conversation with PEOPLE at theStar Searchfinale, Jelly praised his wife's courage in being so open and vulnerable in her memoir. He also said it was "rough" for him to read the book as it reminded him of those hard times.
"It was rough at times just for me to read it. You know what I mean? We went through a lot of pain and having to go through it together, but reading the whole book and seeing where it ended at is really touching," he said.
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"So I'm just proud of her for telling her story so unapologetically," he continued. "I mean, she talks about everything fearlessly, from domestic assault to sexual assault. I'm just proud of her. She's so brave."
Jelly and Bunnie, who first met at one of his concerts in 2015, tied the knot in an impromptu wedding at a Las Vegas chapel in 2016. They renewed their vows at the same chapel in August 2023.
When Jelly went onstage to accept theBest Contemporary Country Albumat the2026 Grammy Awardson Feb. 1, he took a moment to give his wife a shout-out, crediting her with saving his life.
"I want to thank my beautiful wife," he said. "I would have never changed my life without you. 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."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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