Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO Were Undergoing IVF 6 Months Before Their Shocking Split: ‘It’s Been Rough’ (Exclusive)

News of the couple's shocking split went public on Tuesday, June 16 after Jelly filed for divorce in May

NEED TO KNOW

• Jelly Roll filed for divorce from Bunnie XO in May after nearly 10 years of marriage

• The couple had been undergoing IVF and working with a surrogate to grow their family before their split
• Bunnie detailed their fertility journey and emotional struggles in her memoir Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic

Just six months before announcing their shocking split, Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO were undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

On Tuesday, June 16, news broke that Jelly, 41, filed for divorce from his wife in Williamson County, Tennessee, on May 18, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. The longtime couple's split comes just six months after Bunnie, 46, spoke with PEOPLE ahead of the release of her memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, about her journey to welcome a baby with Jelly.

In her memoir, Bunnie opened up about her painful experiences with abortion, including one at 16 years old (in which she claims her doctor "messed something up during the procedure"), as well as having two ectopic pregnancies.

"I genuinely think that having those abortions when I was younger, the journey that I'm going on now with IVF, God's putting me through this again so that I can be a voice for those women who are going through this process," Bunnie, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, told PEOPLE in January.

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"And it is one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through," she continued of IVF. "It's been rough. It has not been easy, but I know that God has a plan and he's going to make it work. I really do. I have no doubt in my mind."

Bunnie, who is stepmom to Jelly's daughter Bailee Ann, 18, and son Noah Buddy, 9, went on to write about her experience in her memoir, revealing that the two had a surrogate.

"Now that we're finally stable financially and somewhat emotionally after all the healing we've done over this decade together, we're talking about the future — including growing our family," she wrote. "J and I have a surrogate, the sweetest woman ever, and soon I'll be starting my IVF stims."

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"We have decided to use my own eggs with J's sperm — and we are trying for twins," she continued. "I'm so nervous, because I've waited this long to have kids with someone I knew would be a great father — and to be able to make sure they have the best life."

"We're going to raise these babies in love and give them everything we were never given," Bunnie added. "I can't wait to see a piece of me and him running around outside of our bodies."

The author and podcast host also shared in her memoir that she and Jelly, whose real name is Jason DeFord, had been on a fertility journey since October 31, 2019.

"I didn't have another way besides IVF," wrote Bunnie, adding that pregnancy almost "killed" her. "I know that my mental health couldn't take the hormonal changes. I'm in the best place I've ever been."

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Last June, Bunnie shared on her Instagram that she'd had a "huge win" after getting a phone call related to her IVF journey.

"When you just got the call you've been waiting on for 5 months since this ivf journey started," she wrote. "All the tears, the hopelessness & the struggle, God finally said, 'Here.' 😭."

In the comments of her post, Bunnie clarified that she wasn't pregnant yet, but had taken a step forward in her journey. "This is not a pregnancy announcement – we won't announce that," she said. "This is just a huge win for us 🙏🏻🤍💫✨."

News of Jelly's divorce filing comes after nearly a decade of marriage for the couple, who wed on Aug. 30, 2016, after a year of dating. They tied the knot in a secret courthouse ceremony the same night they got engaged.

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