Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO’s split has dominated headlines, but it was the reaction from the country star’s daughter that quickly grabbed attention. 

As fans flooded social media with theories and speculation about the end of the couple’s nearly decade-long marriage, Bailee Ann decided she had seen enough. 

The 18-year-old took aim at those dissecting her family’s personal life, delivering a blunt message that left little doubt about how she feels. Her comments come as new attention falls on the bond she has long shared with Bunnie XO.

Bailee Ann has broken her silence following news that Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO are ending their marriage. 

The 18-year-old, whom the country star shares with ex-girlfriend Felicia Beckwith, took to TikTok on Tuesday to address the growing public interest surrounding the breakup.

Rather than discuss the divorce directly, Bailee criticized those closely following developments within her family. 

“I am disgusted at how invested everyone is in a very clearly private family matter,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself lying in bed.

The teenager then urged followers to focus on their own lives instead. “Worry about your house – not mine,” she shared per the Daily Mail.  

While many hoped she would provide clarity about the situation, Bailee made it clear she was not prepared to speak publicly. “I’m not speaking on it – yet,” she added. 

Her comments arrived less than 24 hours after reports surfaced that Jelly Roll had filed for divorce from Bunnie last month.

Jelly Roll’s Daughter Has Always Shared A Close Bond With Bunnie XO

Bailee’s reaction drew attention partly because of the famously close relationship she has with Bunnie. 

When Jelly Roll gained primary custody of his daughter in 2017, Bunnie stepped into a motherly role and helped raise her. 

Over the years, the pair frequently documented their relationship online, sharing videos and photos that showcased their bond. Many of those clips carried the hashtag “#baileeandbunnie,” while Bailee has often referred to Bunnie as her mom on social media.

Last year, she even joked about having her “mom” Bunnie’s back “a little too much” while discussing how fiercely she defended her against critics. The affection has gone both ways.

During an appearance on “Today with Jenna and Sheinelle,” Bunnie reflected on how deeply she connected with Bailee because they shared similar childhood experiences involving mothers who struggled with addiction.

“When I met Bailee, I was looking at a younger version of me. Our lives are so parallel with the addict moms and just in and out of our lives,” the media personality shared. 

She described Bailee as “so independent and so headstrong and tenacious,” adding, “When I saw her, I was like this is me and she deserves the chance I didn’t get.”

Jelly Roll And Bunnie XO Often Spoke About Building A Family Together

Bunnie has repeatedly credited Bailee with changing her and Jelly Roll’s lives for the better. 

Speaking about their journey as parents, she admitted that discussions about Bailee often left her emotional.

According to Bunnie, helping raise Bailee forced both adults to embrace responsibilities they had previously avoided.

“She really just was such a catalyst in my husband and I having to grow up and become adults. We were running from becoming adults for so long, and it was all because we wanted to give Bailee a chance,” Bunnie explained.

The podcast host also made it clear that she considered Bailee her daughter in every way that matters. 

In her words, “She’s such a good kid, and I’m like, you know what, we did that. Like, I know that I didn’t birth her, but that’s my child. That’s my kid. I will ride for her until forever.”

Jelly Roll And Bunnie XO Overcame Major Obstacles During Their Marriage]

Jelly Roll and Bunnie’s relationship was far from perfect, but both frequently spoke about the challenges they overcame together.

They first met in 2015 while she was still involved in another relationship. After that romance ended, the two began dating and married the following year at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

Recalling their first meeting during a 2022 appearance on “Taste Of Country Nights,” Jelly Roll said, “We hit it off. She said she fell in love with the saddest eyes in the room.”

Their marriage faced a major setback in 2018 when they briefly separated after the singer admitted to having an affair. Speaking candidly about it last year, he described it as “one of the worst moments” of his life.

He explained that they worked hard to repair their relationship and said the healing process had been meaningful.

Jelly Roll Continued Working As Divorce News Became Public

Despite the headlines, Jelly Roll has largely remained focused on his career. Rather than retreat from the spotlight after the news emerged, he traveled to Toronto to perform with Post Malone at Rogers Stadium as part of their joint tour. 

The tour, which was delayed from its original May launch date because of a scheduling conflict, is expected to continue through October.

Meanwhile, the timing of the split is particularly notable given the public praise the couple exchanged earlier this year. 

In February, Bunnie spoke warmly about Jelly Roll’s 300-pound weight-loss transformation, saying it had given him a “new zest for life.”

That same month, the 41-year-old honored his wife during a Grammy acceptance speech. “I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you,” he said, adding, “I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”

Classics are classics for a reason, and Charlize Theron wore a shoe that’ll never go out of style. We’re taking a page from her book and grabbing a pair of white sneakers to work with all of our summer outfits. From feminine dresses to relaxed cargo pants, these $20 sneakers will pay for themselves in just a few weeks.

On the day her film Apex was released on Netflix, Theron stepped out in New York City wearing all-white sneakers. Her low-key look was just the kind of effortless vibe that anyone can copy, and it starts with the Kufeiti Low-Top Lace-Up Tennis Shoes we found on Amazon. The affordable pick has that sleek, clean look that you’ll wear over and over again.

Get the Dlooda Tennis Skort for $20 (originally $25) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Available in sizes 5.5 to 12, these Kufeiti sneakers are all white, except for a light gray detail by the heel. So, you won’t have to worry about them not matching with whatever look you have in mind. The faux-leather material looks more expensive than it is, and the slip-resistant soles keep you confident on your feet. They’re comfortable, too, boasting padded memory foam insoles and plush collars.

Related: Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Cool, Dressy Sneaker Style Is Perfect for Events

Advertisement

Andrea Kimi Antonelli may have won the Monaco Grand Prix, but we’re ready to give Catherine Zeta-Jones a trophy of her own. The 56-year-old actress arrived at the Formula 1 race dressed to impress, and while her floral Camilla jumpsuit quickly caught our eye, we soon focused our attention on her footwear style. Instead of rocking strappy […]

Theron paired her white sneakers with white pants, a denim zip-up jacket, black sunglasses and a black hat. It’s the off-duty ensemble that’s equal parts cool and comfortable. However, the white sneakers work way beyond this vibe and pair with floral sundresses, casual shorts and tees and just about any summer look you throw their way.

Amazon shoppers agree that these sneakers meet expectations for top-notch comfort and quality, especially when you consider the price tag. “I just got back from Europe and was SO impressed with the quality of these shoes. I forgot to wear the shoes beforehand to loosen them up and was worried, but I never got any blisters, and my feet never hurt after walking 10+ miles a day. Such a great deal!” a verified buyer wrote.

“I bought these to take on a New York City trip, because they would match most of my attire. We did tons of walking, and my feet did not blister or hurt. They are very comparable to Dr. Scholl’s but at a much cheaper price. I would buy these again!” one happy reviewer said.

A pair of white sneakers is a hero shoe, especially during the summer, as it is super versatile and made for comfort — so much so that even Theron is on board!

Get the Dlooda Tennis Skort for $20 (originally $25) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more white sneakers here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Advertisement

Related: Nicole Kidman’s Sleek, Laid-Back Sneakers Style Goes With Everything

It’s literally never been so easy to dress like Nicole Kidman. She gave Us a masterclass in countryside cool, posing outside in a breezy button-up shirt, flared jeans and clean white sneakers, which gave the outfit a laid-back feel. Her shoes are versatile and stylish, and we found a pair that looks so similar to […]

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the Widow’s Bay Season 1 finale.

In a town that feels like a cross between Amity Island from Jaws and Cabot Cove from Murder, She Wrote, Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) tried to boost tourism as strange events started to unfold, unleashing a centuries-old curse. Dealing with a sea hag wreaking havoc and a Boogeyman bent on destruction brought Tom together with Wyck (Stephen Root) and Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), each outcasts in their own way, as they worked together to get answers about how to break that curse before anyone else gets hurt. Instead, Tom learned a horrible truth that put his son (Kingston Rumi Southwick) directly in the path of danger in a way that they won’t be able to ignore in Season 2.

Creator/showrunner Dippold sat down with me for a conversation that dug into the evolution of the hit horror comedy series that has already gotten the greenlight for a second season and teased what’s next for this town and its residents. She also discussed the challenge of working with such a tricky tone, the fun of playing with horror tropes, what she loves about the trio of Tom, Wyck, and Patricia, how the finale reveal could play into Season 2, how far ahead she’s thought about the story, and whether this curse is fated.

‘Widow’s Bay’ Started as a Spec Script for ‘Parks and Recreation’ Writer Dippold

“The comedic voice was there, but it was very different.”

Image via Apple TV

COLLIDER: It’s wild that you wrote the pilot for this so long ago that you submitted it to Parks and Rec to get hired for that show. How close is the pilot that we see now to the script that you wrote back then?

KATIE DIPPOLD: It’s very different, but the heart of it is the same. The comedic voice was there, but it was very different. It was very joke-focused. I think that version would have felt more like a parody. I don’t think I, myself, would have watched it, to be honest. I want the horror and the tension and the stakes to all be taken very seriously. I want it to feel like a real place. Over the many, many years, that’s the thing I kept working on. This was my novel. When a writer has their little side project, this was that. I just kept coming back to it. The big difference is that it feels more like a real place and there’s actually more tension.

What is it about the horror genre that you love, and what do you think comedy brings out in horror?

DIPPOLD: Horror was a big part of my childhood. I don’t know why my family watched horror movies all the time when I was very young. I just associate a summer night in New Jersey in the ‘80s with watching Friday the 13^th, or something. My parents are pranksters. I remember my dad walking down the hallway doing [the Friday the 13^th theme]. When I was 16 and Blair Witch came out, I opened my door and he had left the sticks outside the door. I also feel like, as an anxious person, I’ve always found horror to be cathartic. If you’re an anxious person, you’re always waiting for the shoe to drop. And so, when you watch a horror movie, you get to experience that bad thing that you were waiting for. It happens, but then you’re safe.

I find that very relaxing. It’s a very tricky tonal balance with comedy and horror because it’s very easy to do it wrong. It is very important to us to have the comedy never be undercut the horror tension, and also make sure the characters always behave and act like this is happening and this is terrifying and not ever treating it lightly. That was one of the hardest parts. In Episode 7, when a coffin comes up, it’s so easy to write in a lighthearted way, but no, what’s happening is crazy. They have to have lines that let them react to this crazy thing that’s happening. I’ve never experienced that, so in the writers’ room, it was like, “What would they say right now?”

You’ve worked in comedy and in sketch comedy, but you’ve also been blending comedy with the spooky for a bit, with Ghostbusters and Haunted Mansion. As a horror fan, did you have a board of things you wanted to work into this show somewhere, and is there still a lot left over that you couldn’t do this season?

DIPPOLD: There is a lot still to do, I have to say. For the first season, the goal was finding these horror tropes that we could add our Widow’s Bay spin to, and that were things you could buy happening to this island, A fog felt like a good entry point. It feels very New England island town. If you go too far right away, you’re going to be like, “I don’t buy any of this,” so you have to really slowly take the audience there. There were some things that came up in Season 1 that felt too big or too weird, but I think you could eventually get there. It’s tricky. You want to stay with the familiar so you can have fun with it, but you also have to make sure that you can add enough of your spin.

Horror and Comedy Are Equally Important When It Comes to ‘Widow’s Bay’

“Sometimes an idea for an episode will start from a place of horror, and sometimes it will start from more of a comedic place, even if it ends up being the opposite.”

Image via Apple TV

When it came to adding a sea hag or a Boogeyman, did you have other possibilities that you were choosing between, or were there very clear and specific choices?

DIPPOLD: Sometimes an idea for an episode will start from a place of horror, and sometimes it will start from more of a comedic place, even if it ends up being the opposite. For example, the inn was something where I was like, “Okay, Widow’s Bay has to have a spooky inn on this island that’s been around for centuries, and that has a Captain’s suite and all this lore within the building itself. It started from a place of really liking the idea of staying the night at the inn to prove it’s safe, and following Loftis around there. That started from more of a horror trope, but we then could use it because we were able to tie it to his emotional story, and it gave us a way to learn more about Loftis and see what he’s willing to do to bring tourists to the town and to just discover more about him.

And then, there were things like, for example, the sea hag episode. Going into this, I always wanted to do something with a hitchhiker. There’s a dark road on the island, he’s driving, and there’s some kind of hitchhiker. That started from a comedic place because I imagined that conversation with Patricia where she’s annoyed that he picked up a young woman and not an older woman. I always had that in my head. And then, in the [writers’] room, we started talking about a sea hag, and we brought all those things together. There are a lot of different ways in. We come at it from different angles.

As a horror fan, what’s it like to get to create the look of characters like that? How long did you think about what the Boogeyman should look like?

DIPPOLD: That’s so funny that you asked that. I would say it’s a challenging blast. Every episode taps into something, some kind of horror trope that we all know and love. But those tropes are usually their own movie, where they’ve had all year to think about what the Boogeyman’s mask looks like or what the book looks like in Episode 4. We were suddenly having to do all that really fast and doing so much of it. That was probably one of the more challenging things. You want the Boogeyman mask to be so special that it could have its own movie. That was always the creative challenge.

Showrunner Dippold Wants the Scary in ‘Widow’s Bay’ To Always Be Scary Without Feeling Too Human

“If [the Boogeyman] took off his mask and it was someone you know, it would feel like a different kind of place.”

Was it also important not to have a big reveal and have the Boogeyman be someone’s neighbor?

DIPPOLD: Yeah. It was a big goal for me for the scary to always be scary, and to never undercut it, as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t break the rules, but for the most part, that was a goal. Some things I just want to feel supernatural. With the Boogeyman, I just wanted to feel like there was something buried underneath a cement basement that was trying to get its way out, and it finally does. Can it be supernatural? Sometimes if the horror feels too human, it just doesn’t feel right for this show. If he took off his mask and it was someone you know, it would feel like a different kind of place.

I loved the choice of Patricia following the Boogeyman with her shotgun pointed at him and even going with him all the way to the furnace.

DIPPOLD: Oh, good. Episode 8 is interesting because it’s the Boogeyman and he’s scary, but we are having fun with it. Originally, we talked about that being a flashback episode where you see exactly what happened in that year when she was 16. But we had this great actress and this character we’ve come to know and love, and it was ultimately more fun to watch this 40-year-old woman running through the streets of her town, claiming a Boogeyman is chasing her, and still no one believing her. As ridiculous and absurd as the episode is, I really didn’t want him to do much that was funny. But Patricia holding the shotgun to him is something I would do. Anytime a horror movie gets to the end, it’s like, “No, shoot him a thousand times.” I would cut him into different pieces and ship them off to different parts of the world. I would take it so far. Patricia is a little bit funny doing something we would all want to see someone do, which is make sure he’s dead, please.

Patricia is such an odd character that I’m curious how much of that you saw and how much of that was what Kate O’Flynn brought to that role?

DIPPOLD: Patricia was probably the most fun to pitch for in the writers’ room. Everyone really got that character. Part of the inspiration is my own mom. She’s pretty neurotic and will just say the things she wants to say. I feel like that’s something Patricia would do. It comes from that. But I also feel like there’s just an element of Patricia that wants to be seen. She wants someone to say, “I see you and you’re great.” That’s all she really wants. She doesn’t want to be left out. Kate O’Flynn is such an incredible performer. It’s so rare that you just see someone and you’re like, “Oh, this is that person.”

I don’t see the actor. And she’s nothing like this character. She’s this very sweet, lovely British woman that’s a wonderful theater actress. Every part she plays is so different. She’s really incredible. I really think she’s doing something very special here. She brought all these other layers to it, even with her gait. The way she walks is so funny to me. It’s like a Muppet in a way, but it’s still very realistic. I think she’s incredible. (Casting director) Allison Jones sent us her tape, and it was just such a wonderful surprise. It wasn’t exactly how I pictured it at all, but I was like, “Well, that’s Patricia.”

What do you love about the trio of Tom, Patricia and Wyck?

DIPPOLD: The three of those actors are so good together. Among those three characters, a lot of different things are happening, Loftis and Patricia have a co-dependent thing. He can be rude to her and bicker with her and is impatient with her, and she can throw it back at him. And then, Loftis and Wyck have a rough dynamic and they’re at odds. But also, there’s possibly a slight father-son dynamic in the making. And then, Wyck seems to be very kind to Patricia, even if he says things that can infuriate her. He seems to really care for her and has a soft spot for her, and I don’t know that she’s ever had anyone look at her that way before. I feel like these actors bring all these different layers that are really fun to watch.

I remember when we were shooting outside the church, and I was inside the church. We needed a shot for Episode 4 when Loftis, Patricia, and Wyck are going in from the truck to the church. I was inside the church, going over the script with two of the writers, Neil [Casey] and Kelly [Galuska], and I forgot that they were coming in. We were writing, but there were no cameras. The three of them came in, in character, and I was like, “Am I in the show?” It was so weird. When the three of them would walk onto set together, it was exciting. They have something together. It’s very, very fun.

The ‘Widow’s Bay’ Finale Almost Looked Different Before Ultimately Raising the Stakes for Tom Loftis

“There was a period of time when I wondered for a moment if the whole episode should just be Loftis talking to Ruth, and it’s just the two of them, the whole episode.”

Image via Apple TV

There’s an interesting balance in the finale between this intimate conversation between Tom and Ruth, and then all the other people in town trapped in a confined space together while the tension continues to rise. Did you think about it in that way and how that would compare?

DIPPOLD: There was a period of time when I wondered for a moment if the whole episode should just be Loftis talking to Ruth, and it’s just the two of them, the whole episode. But you’ve spent this whole season with all these other characters, and you want to see what they’re doing and also how their stories are resolving. But also, seeing them in the shelter and it feeling claustrophobic and feeling like it’s all boiling and things are about to blow just to put more pressure on Loftis. I wanted, as much as possible, for the audience to really be with Loftis and really understand. If you go back to the shelter and see the tension rising, you can remember that. Otherwise, it could be easy to be like, “Oh, you know what? Just forget it. Just leave. Just don’t do anything. Just talk to Ruth and go home.” You need that reminder, whether that’s five people about to really tear each other apart down there or if the shelter is not going to hold or what Evan is getting into down deeper in the basement. Those are all things to raise the stakes for Loftis.

How do you think Loftis feels about learning that it’s actually the son he was trying to protect that’s going to be the issue? Is that something you want to explore more?

DIPPOLD: We’ll definitely have to get into it. I think he feels not good. Not to get too heavy, but you have these dreams of what life should be and I almost feel like I can Disnify things. What’s the Disney version of life? And when you start to realize all the horrors that exist in the real world, it’s hard to accept. There’s a lot of that acceptance at the end of the show, so that’s a big thing that we’re exploring.

Dale found the video about the people needing to be sacrificed according to the number of bell tolls and flipped out, making everyone else flip out, but he doesn’t articulate what he’s seeing and how it makes him feel. With everything that comes out in the finale, are these residents just going to have to deal with things on a different level moving forward? They can’t just ignore that, can they?

DIPPOLD: Right. I guess the only way I can say it is that I feel like Season 1 is almost a prequel to living on a haunted island. Season 1 is slowly starting to realize what’s happening. I think there’s much more fun to be had in Season 2. But I don’t want to say any more than that.

What Tom Loftis Learns in the Season Finale of ‘Widow’s Bay’ Will Change His Life and Trajectory Forever

“I knew that he was going to have this dilemma, and I knew what would be revealed.”

Image via Apple TV

This show existed for a while before you actually shot it, and it evolved over that time. At what point did you know where you would leave things in the finale? What made you decide to end it with Tom having all this information, but no one else having that information yet?

DIPPOLD: Going into the season, I knew I wanted to do something with the bloodline. I knew that I wanted Loftis to be presented with this horrible dilemma, something that really asks what kind of person and leader he is and really makes it not easy and makes it as complicated as possible. We had this debate in the writers’ room about what you would do, and everyone had different answers. When Wyck says, in Episode 9, “Just take a shotgun and shoot her in the back of the head,” I actually don’t know that he’s wrong. I do think that’s the kind thing to do. Loftis does something that I think I would do, deciding to just peacefully poison her to sleep, which seems like the easier way. But because it’s easier for Loftis, he pays the price for that. That leads to him finding out something that will change his life and trajectory forever.

I knew that he was going to have this dilemma, and I knew what would be revealed. Exactly how it was going to play out, I wasn’t sure. We talked about different options in the writers’ room. One of the writers pitched the Bechir move, which I thought was very interesting. I liked how it gave Kevin Carroll much more to do. It makes it interesting, going forward, that there is a man who’s a police detective that is willing to do anything to get off the island, and God help Loftis if he ever finds out about his son. The original ending, I wrote the draft of while we were in production. I can’t remember where it ended off, but Apple encouraged me to give more, and I did. I just can’t remember what exactly came out of that, but it was a whole process of figuring out exactly how to end it.

How far have you planned things out with this series, or at least thought about the story you’re telling? Do you have a good sense of Season 2 and Season 3?

DIPPOLD: I have a good sense of Season 2, in the sense of how I want it to feel, the kinds of stuff we can do, and more of the lore to show. I’ve always had an idea for how I think Loftis’ story should end. Whether that’s what we end up doing or not, I’m not sure, but there’s something I’ve always had in mind.

Do you see it being more full-on horror moving forward?

DIPPOLD: I think it’s always going to serve both.

If You Love the World of ‘Widow’s Bay,’ There Could Be Future Miniseries

“What happened at the inn over that New Year’s night could be a standalone six-episode season.”

Image via Apple TV

Do you want to do more flashbacks?

DIPPOLD: Yes. I think it’d be fun to do more flashbacks. What I think could be very fun about this show and that I always had in mind was, if you build this world and people like being in this world, then aside from this story, there could be future miniseries. What happened at the inn over that New Year’s night could be a standalone six-episode season. I think there is all sorts of stuff you can do, as long as this world is established. I think there’s a lot of fun to be had.

You’re also playing with things that are fated, like the bells in town ringing with the number of people that need to be sacrificed. Is that predetermined and fated? Can anything be changed? Is that something you also want to delve deeper into?

DIPPOLD: Yes. These are the complications that would come up in Season 2.

Widow’s Bay is available to stream on Apple TV.

Advertisement

Release Date

April 28, 2026

Advertisement

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Advertisement

Katie Dippold

Directors

Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West

Advertisement

Writers

Alberto Roldán, Neil Casey, Kelly Galuska, Colton Dunn, Dave Harris, Katie Dippold, Mackenzie Dohr

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement