A future journalist or podcaster in the making. Bunnie Xo is pulling back the curtain on motherhood, podcasting, and more in a recent interview with Today. Bunnie Xo might be the wife of the CMA Award-winning artist Jelly Roll, but don’t let that fool you; she’s got a handful of accolades and accomplishments to her name. Bunnie Xo, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, is gearing up to release her first novel, “Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic,” coming in February 2026, and sat down with the publication to talk about what readers can expect and to share a little bit about what’s going on in her life. When Bunnie is not on the road supporting her husband, she’s at home raising her stepchildren. “Having a teenager is not for the weak. I tell everybody this: 13 is when the dark goes over their eyes, and you’re just like, ‘Hello? Where are you?’” She jokes with the interviewer: “13 to 17, that is like a nightmare and then, I swear to God, right at 17 and a half, they become your best friend. Bailee is my best friend. I love her to death.” Bunnie Xo shares a very special relationship with Bailee Ann, serving as her mother figure even though she’s not biologically her mother. Bailee Ann has opened up in the past that her biological mom has never been a true mother, often putting her in an unsafe situation, and convinced Bailee to try drugs one time. Bailee candidly shared this on Bunnie’s Dumb Blonde podcast that her mother was manipulative in getting her to try these addictive substances, and that she doesn’t have much recollection of the next couple of months, because she was “so f***** up all of the time.” “Whether it was weed, or I was drinking, or I was vaping or snorting Valiums or Xanax or whatever I was doing, I was never sober for a good 8-month period.” Horrible… but Bailee hit the lottery with getting a fiercely loyal mother figure like Bunnie in her life. On Bunnie’s TikTok recently, she set the record straight when a troll commented that Bailee was only her “stepdaughter,” while also taking aim at critics who make comments that she’s not Bailee’s “real mom.” “She might be my bonus baby, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m her mom too. So many people try to come at me & say things like this and ‘you’re not her mom.’ I’ve sat quietly for almost 8 years protecting her “mom” & never speaking up about the human she is. You’re right – I’m NOT her mom & would never want to be. Her mom isn’t a mom. I fiercely protect this little girl, I teach her how to be a woman, I have always picked up the pieces of her broken heart alongside her dad, every time her real mom shatters her heart. I’m the one who she gets mad at because I tell her no & actually parent her. There is so much you don’t know about this relationship because I don’t “brag” about all the things I’ve done for her. Bailee calls me mom by choice. I never asked her to call me that. But through this journey called life, no matter what – that’s my kid. Our kid. And nothing any of you say will ever change that.” Amen. @ohheyitsbunnie #baileeandbunnie ♬ Blurry – Puddle Of Mudd Bunnie Xo is an incredible mother, and she’s raising a strong, intelligent woman. While Bunnie Xo serves as a motherly figure for Bailee, helping her heal from past trauma, there are times when Bailee also helps Bunnie grow as an individual. In the interview, Bunnie Xo shared that Bailee Ann has helped her prepare questions for some of her most prominent podcast guests- like the Queen of Country Music, Dolly Parton. “Everything she’s taught me, I apply to my everyday life and my interviews — having patience and if people say off-the-wall things, you’re not reactive. I did an interview recently where I said something that kind of pissed off the person, but I was able to talk them back down … gentle parenting skills!” It’s really sweet to know that Bunnie Xo is giving Bailee the nurturing childhood that she was deprived of as a child. And Bailee Ann clearly has a strong future in this field, helping her mother prepare for some of her biggest interviews while still in high school. Bunnie Xo’s podcast is a top-ranking show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and she’s still having to pinch herself that people tune in to listen to what she has to say. “I’m so amazed that people even want to hear anything I have to say. If it gets me in trouble, that’s OK. Being authentic is the best thing that you can possibly do. Maybe that’s what draws people in.” I know that whenever I listen to a Dumb Blonde episode now, I’ll be trying to see what questions Bailee Ann influenced. This young woman has a bright future. Check out the latest episode with Gavin Adcock while you’re here. The post Bunnie Xo Praises Her Stepdaughter, Bailee Ann, For Helping Her Prepare For Podcast Interviews first appeared on Whiskey Riff.