The wife of Grammy-winning artist Jelly Roll detailed the harrowing mental-health struggle she experienced after taking weight-loss drugs.
“Honestly, I just went through a bout of suicidal ideation from using a GLP-1,” Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, told People magazine.
Bunnie, 46, married Jelly Roll (Jason Bradley DeFord) in 2016 and is the stepmother to his two children.
Jelly Roll, 41, has been on his own weight loss journey since 2023. He’s since lost 275 pounds without the help of GLP-1s, working with a medical team, a chef, and a sports nutritionist, and seeking professional treatment for his food addiction.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo at the Grammy Awards in February 2026.
Phil McCarten/CBS via Getty Images
GLP-1 receptor agonists, sold under names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, are a class of drugs used to manage diabetes and support weight loss, favored by celebrities like Oprah and Serena Williams.
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“[December 2025] was one of the darkest times of my life, and it was scary,” Bunnie, a podcast host and author, said.
“I prided myself on the fact that I only had anxiety. I never had depression,” Bunnie said.
She details her hard childhood in her new memoir, Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic (HarperCollins Publishers), which comes out on February 17.
Bunnie Xo’s memoir, “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic.”
“So, when you get slammed with suicidal ideation and visions and just, oh, it was horrific,” she continued.
“You want to have anxiety because you want to be scared to die. You don’t want to have depression because you literally don’t care if you want to die. So yeah, it was really dark.”
Bunnie started using GLP-1s due to health issues in her family.
“Both my parents had diabetes. So my insulin numbers are really crazy and my body just cannot tolerate it,” she said, adding, “I wish I could be part of the cool crowd and be skinny and freaking not have a care in the world.”
Bunnie Xo at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards in Frisco, Texas, 2025.
Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images
Although Bunnie says she feels much better now, she felt compelled to share her story in order to help others. “I really think people need to talk more about this,” she said.
“I just want people to know you’re not alone. Everybody goes through ups and downs and you are worth staying here. Please stay. Everybody, please stay because you’re here for a reason and you’re going through this, but do not make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion because it will go away.”
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.