When Bunnie XO playfully launched herself at her husband, Jelly Roll, in a surprise body slam that went viral, it was a moment that captured more than just laughter. It was a tender, unspoken celebration of transformation—a loving reminder that no matter how drastically things change on the outside, some connections stay just as strong on the inside.
The video, posted by Bunnie to her social media, quickly took off. She cheekily captioned it, “When you have to check and make sure he’s still your squish after all the weight loss,” and in just those few seconds of silly wrestling and warmth, you could see the story of two people who’ve built a life not just on love, but on grit, humor, and survival. Jelly Roll, who started his weight loss journey at 540 pounds, has since lost an astonishing 200 pounds—a feat he’s achieved not quietly or in private, but openly and with purpose.
That vulnerability and openness have defined much of Jelly Roll’s recent years. His rise to fame has never followed the traditional path. As a genre-blending country and rap artist, his career, like his body, has often felt too large for easy boxes. Yet, it’s that very realness that has drawn fans to him. He doesn’t hide the scars. He shares them. And in doing so, he’s created space for others who might be struggling silently.
He revealed to fans and media alike that he had started his transformation with a simple but determined goal: to live. At 40 years old, the weight had become more than a number—it was a barrier to the future he envisioned with his wife, his children, and perhaps, even new additions to their family. During an appearance on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, he shared that he and Bunnie were talking seriously about having a baby together. The thought of starting fresh at this stage in life gave him new motivation. He didn’t just want to feel better or look better—he wanted to make it to college graduation for a child not yet born. That meant pushing his lifespan out another 20 years, minimum. That meant making hard choices now, before time ran out.
“I’ve got to live ’til at least 60,” he said, both humorously and earnestly. “I’ve got to see this kid into college.”
The change wasn’t overnight. It rarely is. For someone who had used food as a comfort for decades, letting go of that relationship meant addressing a deeper emotional wound. For many, addiction is black-and-white. For Jelly Roll, it’s a spectrum. From substance abuse in his younger years to food as a crutch later on, he had been carrying trauma in different forms for most of his life. And when you start to unpack that trauma, everything feels fragile—even the things that once gave you strength. Especially then.
But he didn’t hide. Instead, he did what few celebrities dare to do: he shared the ugly parts of the process as publicly as he shared the wins. The slip-ups, the cravings, the mental tug-of-war. He spoke to fans candidly about how difficult it was to stop himself from eating late at night, about how much of his relationship with food was emotional, not nutritional. He talked about hating the way he looked in the mirror sometimes, even as the numbers on the scale dropped. The body changes, sure—but the mind takes longer.
There’s something deeply relatable in that kind of honesty. It’s one thing to show a before-and-after photo with a motivational caption. It’s another to admit that even after 100 pounds lost, you’re still fighting the same demons—just in different clothes. Jelly Roll never tried to present himself as a finished product. He is the embodiment of the work-in-progress: constantly evolving, never pretending.
When he spoke to the Tennessee Titans during a team pep talk, the humor in his tone masked a powerful message. “I lost 200 pounds,” he told them, chuckling. “I told coach I’m getting a contract if I lose another 50.” It was funny, yes—but also rooted in truth. He was that close to something he never imagined before: moving his body with agility, with strength, with freedom. The kind of freedom that escapes people carrying hundreds of extra pounds. For years, he’d been trapped inside a body that couldn’t keep up with his spirit. Now, the body was catching up.
At a concert in Pittsburgh earlier this year, he spoke to thousands of fans and declared his next goal: another 100 pounds gone and a dream fulfilled—skydiving with Bunnie in Sweden. The crowd roared. Because skydiving wasn’t just a bucket-list item. It was symbolic. It meant leaping into life without being held back by the weight, without the restraints that had kept him grounded in fear, limitation, and habit.
All the while, Bunnie XO was there. His partner in crime, in play, in healing. That body slam wasn’t a stunt for views. It was the kind of physical intimacy that only comes when you know every inch of someone—before and after. She had loved him at his heaviest. She stood beside him through every stage of transformation. And now, watching the man she married reclaim his health, she wanted to remind him—and the world—that he was still hers, still soft in the places that mattered, still her “squish.”
Their relationship, built over nearly a decade of marriage since 2016, has been tested, admired, and documented widely. But at its core, it’s simple. Two people who have been through enough to know that life is short, and love, when it’s real, is worth fighting for. That includes the tough stuff—the weight gain, the surgeries, the late nights, the family talks, the podcast confessions. And it includes the joyous stuff, too—the road trips, the music, the shared dreams.
Jelly Roll’s commitment to transparency has made him a sort of accidental role model in the weight-loss community. While others unveil their transformations only after the fact, he has opened the door to what it looks like mid-journey: messy, inconsistent, sometimes embarrassing. But always honest. He has made it easier for men, especially, to talk about their relationship with food, with their bodies, with their health.
He once joked that he didn’t want to be one of those celebrities who disappeared from the public eye, got thin, and then re-emerged unrecognizable. “I want people to see me do it,” he said. “All of it. Even the parts I’m not proud of.”
In the process, he’s gained more than a smaller waistline. He’s gained mobility, energy, a renewed sex life, a better ability to be present for his kids. And perhaps most significantly, he’s gained a clearer vision for the years ahead. For a man who once doubted whether he’d live past 40, making plans into his 60s feels like rebellion. Not against age, but against the narrative he once believed about himself—that he wasn’t built for longevity.
Now, every day is a small act of defiance. Every healthy meal, every walk, every workout. Every skipped late-night binge, every early morning spent in movement. He’s not just rewriting his body—he’s rewriting his future.
And then there’s the fans. The ones who see themselves in his before photos. The ones who listen to his songs about pain and redemption and think, “He gets it.” For them, Jelly Roll’s journey isn’t just inspiring—it’s proof that change is possible, even after years of feeling stuck. His story tells them it’s never too late to start over.
Meanwhile, Bunnie continues to show the world what supportive love looks like in real time. She’s not taking a backseat to his transformation; she’s in the front row, cheering, teasing, tackling, laughing. Their playful videos feel like a breath of fresh air in a world where relationships are often curated for perfection. There’s nothing filtered about watching a woman body-slam her husband because he’s lost so much weight she has to check if he’s still “squishy.” It’s real. And in its own way, it’s revolutionary.
As the couple looks toward the future, the goals keep growing. More weight to lose. More adventures to plan. A potential new baby. And for Jelly Roll, perhaps a magazine cover—he once said he dreamed of appearing on the front of Men’s Health. The dream sounded absurd when he said it. Now, it sounds plausible.
Because when you lose 200 pounds, you realize you’re capable of anything.
And when the person you love most jumps on your chest and calls you her “squish,” even after all the changes, you realize you haven’t lost anything that matters.
