Jelly Roll welcomed his second child, son Noah Buddy DeFord, in August 2016 with a woman named Melisa. Taking to Facebook to make his official announcement, he cheekily wrote, “God Bless this Child to be everything I am not!” While he didn’t reveal much about Noah’s mom, it was clear they were not together as, mere days after the post, he married Bunnie Xo in a spontaneous Las Vegas wedding.
That timeline may sound like a recipe for disaster, but the trio seems to be co-parenting smoothly — with Melisa taking the lead. “I’m the full-time parent, I’m the judge, the jury and the executioner, when it comes to decisions with [Bailee],” Jelly told Taste of Country. When it comes to Noah, though, Melisa is the custodial parent, meaning she has primary physical custody and she makes most of the decisions. “I try not to get in the way of what [Melisa] is building over there, and I never want to step on her toes,” the singer explained. “I want to just respect that boundary.”
Bunnie Xo is equally on board. When she posted a video with 6-year-old Noah on TikTok in July 2023, it was with Melisa’s permission. “He always goes on vacation with us, and we just always try to shoot around him,” Jelly told Taste of Country. This trip, Bunnie really wanted to post a clip with Noah, but, as Jelly revealed, she only felt comfortable doing so after she texted Melisa to get the green light.
