A Dan + Shay Song Once Helped Save Jelly Roll + Bunnie Xo’s Marriage
During a time of uncertainty in Jelly Roll's relationship with his wife Bunnie Xo, it was a Dan + Shay love ballad that helped bring them back together.
On her TikTok, Bunnie recently shared throwback video of a special 2022 concert that Jelly played with Dan + Shay. During a performance of their song "Tequila," the "Save Me" star left the stage to find his wife — and they slow-danced to the entire song.
Dan + Shay are known for their love songs, and hits like "Speechless" and "From the Ground Up" are popular choices for country fans' wedding songs. But "Tequila" has a twinge of sadness to it: It's about feeling unable to let go of a relationship after it ends.
That dark undercurrent made "Tequila" the perfect song to describe Jelly and Bunnie's love story in 2018, when they separated, and almost broke up for good.
In her new post, Bunnie explains how much "Tequila" meant to the couple during that time.
"We split in 2018 ... & met in Colorado to talk & figure out if we were going to make things work," she recounts. "This song was our song for that entire reunion trip. We ended up getting back together & being stronger than ever."
In the past, Jelly and Bunnie have been candid about their breakup, and how the "rebuild" that ensued ultimately made their relationship stronger. The couple got married in 2016, but she's said on TikTok that they didn't fully commit to each other at that time.
Both members of the couple had substance abuse problems when they got together, at a time when Jelly was a struggling artist and Bunnie was a sex worker catering to high-end clients.
In the years since, he has exploded into one of country music's biggest contemporary acts, and often gives back to programs focused on at-risk and incarcerated youth, as well as people impacted by addiction. Meanwhile, Bunnie has continued to build her career as a social media influencer and the host of her Dumb Blonde podcast.
Though their relationship has been rocky at some points, they have consistently found their way back to each other — in this case, with the help of Dan + Shay's "Tequila."
"This song still til this day still makes us extremely emotional & happy," Bunnie writes. "What an extremely surreal full circle moment for us as a couple ... Thank you Dan + Shay for your song & for giving us this moment & the memories attached to your song."
Bunnie and Jelly renewed their wedding vows in 2023, at the same church in Las Vegas where they originally tied the knot.