Dan + Shay Break Their Silence on How Jelly Roll Is Really Handling His Divorce

The "Son of a Sinner" singer's divorce has shaken country music, but the friends who've been closest to him aren't worried... for a particular reason.

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, who together make up the duo Dan + Shay, spoke up at the Tight Ends & Friends Concert presented by Reese's in Nashville on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. The event, hosted by Tight End University alongside Sports Illustrated, was where both men were asked about their close friend Jelly Roll's high-profile split from Bunnie Xo. And neither held back.

Dan Smyers Has a Simple Answer

Dan kept it short, but the message was clear. "I saw him the other night, actually. Yeah, I ran into him," he told Page Six, noting it was outside of the event. "He was great. We didn't really get into it, but I'm happy for him."

The guitarist also made a point to spotlight a post Jelly had shared earlier that same day, in which the Grammy winner reflected on his fitness journey.

"The post he did was amazing," Dan said. "I was like, 'Damn, that's my guy.' It was cool." It was a small moment, but a telling one: even in the middle of a very public unraveling, Jelly was showing up for himself.

Shay Mooney Gives Both Sides Their Flowers

Shay took a broader view, making sure credit went to both Jelly and Bunnie for how they've each carried themselves since news of the divorce broke. "They've handled it with class. It's a tough thing to go through very, very publicly," he said.

Coming from someone who knows what it means to be a public figure in a marriage, that read as genuine respect rather than a talking point.

"I mean, as married guys, if we had to go through something like that publicly, it's really tough on both parties and they've both handled it well," Mooney continued. "We want the best for both of them. They're great."

For a story that's had no shortage of online speculation, hearing that from people in Jelly's inner circle is more significant than any headline.

The Dan + Shay Song That Once Saved Their Marriage

And if you're wondering why Dan and Shay's opinion is significant, it probably has something to do with the role they played in Jelly and Bunnie's relationship before.

Back in 2022, Jelly performed alongside the country duo, and during their song "Tequila," he stepped off the stage to find Bunnie in the crowd. The two slow-danced together through the entire song.

It was not just a sweet concert moment. Bunnie shared the throwback video on TikTok in 2024, explaining that "Tequila" had been their song during a critical reunion trip to Colorado back in 2018, after the two had separated and were figuring out whether their relationship had a future.

"We split in 2018 ... and met in Colorado to talk and figure out if we were going to make things work," she wrote. "This song was our song for that entire reunion trip. We ended up getting back together and being stronger than ever."

"Tequila," of course, is about the pull of a love you cannot quite let go of, even after it ends. That it soundtracked their reconciliation once makes the current chapter land differently.

What Actually Happened Between Jelly Roll and Bunnie

Beyond the warm words from his friends, the facts of the split tell their own story. On June 15, Page Six verified that Jelly quietly sought to end his marriage to Bunnie after nearly a decade together. He actually submitted the legal paperwork about a month prior, on May 18.

In the documents, the musician stated that the two could no longer get along due to incompatible differences. While the couple has no children together, Jelly has an 18-year-old daughter, Bailee Ann, and a 9-year-old son, Noah Buddy, from earlier relationships.

He addressed the split publicly for the first time mid-concert on June 18, during his Little ASS Shed Tour stop in Saratoga Springs, New York.

"This is the only time and the only city I'm gonna speak about this, so break your camera phones out now," he told the crowd in a video that was also posted to his Instagram account.

He went on to say that he and Bunnie "will always be best friends," that she will "probably be the only woman I will ever love the way I loved her," and made clear that "nobody cheated on nobody."

He then encouraged fans to listen to the episode of Bunnie's "Dumb Blonde" podcast that was released that evening. He assured everyone that everything shared in it was completely true, adding that she would always be his closest friend and that this would be his final public statement on the matter.

Sharp-eyed viewers watching footage from the Saratoga Springs show noticed something else: his ring was gone. One netizen noted simply, "He's taken off his wedding ring."

Bunnie's Podcast Episode Said the Quiet Parts Out Loud

That concert speech was just the opening act. Bunnie, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, did not hold back in her nearly hour-long June 18 podcast episode.

She addressed the fight that led to the split, shut down rumors that she is now dating Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger, and laid out exactly how she and Jelly (born Jason DeFord) have divided their shared life in the weeks since he filed.

"My husband and I are ending this marriage on the best possible terms," she said on the episode. "We're literally settling our divorce. We've done it in two weeks, three weeks."

Among the biggest reveals: Jelly agreed to give Bunnie the property they purchased last year, a sprawling compound featuring three houses that she had been largely designing herself.

"J is so [expletive] sweet that he's giving me that compound in the divorce, because he knows how special it is to me," she said.

She also hinted at receiving financial support from her ex, joking, "Well, you didn't take care of me in the marriage, but you're taking care of me in the divorce." She followed that up with, "We stan a [expletive] king."

Perhaps the most surprising detail from the episode: despite the split, Bunnie revealed that she and Jelly are still planning to have a baby together.

While a post-divorce baby plan might sound unconventional, it highlights the unique, enduring bond that Jelly and Bunnie still share. As Dan and Shay pointed out, the former couple is handling this public transition perfectly, proving that their inner circle has every reason to remain confident about whatever their future holds.