Jelly Roll may be divorcing Bunny Zoe, but suggests her ex-husband will win her back soon.
“We talk every day,” Frankie Lombardo told Page Six on Friday, later adding that he “wouldn’t say no” to rekindling their romance if she was interested.
“She was the only woman who ever broke my heart. I feel like there’s a lot of unfinished business between us, but maybe I’m the only one who feels that way. I love her so much. I would never do anything to hurt her. I don’t think that will ever go away.”
Lombardo, 43, who lives in California, posted multiple TikTok videos on Wednesday and Thursday, shortly after the celebrity couple’s split, defending Bunny (real name Alisa Deford) and insisting their bond is still strong despite their long marriage.
“I’ll always love that girl. Even if I try to run away, I can’t,” he said in one video.
Mr. Lombardo also hinted at inside information regarding the current situation, saying, “I know too much (lol).”
He told Page Six: “We have an interesting friendship. Sometimes she still talks to me and berates me as if she were my wife.”
“Bunny is my best friend,” he said.
Jelly Roll, 41, himself said the same thing at his Thursday concert in Saratoga Springs, New York: “My wife and I are best friends, and we always will be,” the country superstar said on stage, adding that she was “probably the only woman I’ve ever loved the way I loved her,” adding, “I’ve never cheated on anyone.”
Lombardo said on TikTok that she has never met Jelly Roll, but “I hear he’s a nice guy.”
Bunny Zaw, 46, was married to Lombardo from 2009 to 2015. She then married Jelly Roll (nee Jason Deford) in 2016.
The Grammy Award winner is a convicted felon who became a chart-topping artist and second chance advocate after serving time for robbery and drug crimes. Bunny, a former sex worker and recovering drug addict, has spoken openly about her criminal past and even shared an old photo with fans ahead of her book tour last year.
Lombardo has his own troubled history. One woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Post she was in a relationship with him until the end of 2024 and claimed he repeatedly assaulted her.
In one incident in December 2023, both the woman and a neighbor who witnessed the disturbance called 911, according to a police report obtained by the newspaper.
Lombardo was arrested, taken to jail, and charged with domestic assault by strangulation.
“It should be noted that on the way to jail, Frankie punched her butt, punched her butt, and stated that he should have punched the dog,” the officer wrote in the report.
The case was dismissed in 2024, but Lombardo denies the charges. “I never put my hands on women,” he told Page Six.
Now, his repeated attempts to portray himself as one of Bunny’s closest confidants are raising eyebrows among those who know the pair.
A person familiar with the matter accused Ms. Lombardo of trying to exploit her connection with the “Dumb Blonde” podcast star after their high-profile breakup.
“He’s the type of guy who takes advantage of women…until they can’t stand it anymore,” a source told Page Six.
But, according to Lombardo, “it’s all bullshit.”
Last month, multiple sources told The Post that Jelly Roll and the Bunny’s carefully crafted image was being threatened by “violent thugs” in their inner circle who have collectively racked up dozens of criminal charges and are accused of “inciting bad things to happen.”
There is no suggestion that Jelly Roll or Bunny were involved in the alleged incidents involving their friends and associates, including Lombardo.
Lombardo has frequently mentioned his friendship with Bunny online in recent years, calling her “boss” in several TikTok posts. Bunny likewise spoke publicly about their continued friendship on his podcast.
In recent days, as the Defords’ marriage unravels, Lombardo’s posts about Bunny have increased.
The country stars filed for divorce on May 18 and officially separated on May 9, court documents reveal, Page Six confirmed on Tuesday.
Sources previously told Page Six that the split comes after years of heightened tensions, with Jelly Roll embracing a more faith-based lifestyle and Bunny continuing to build the outspoken, graphic brand that made him famous.
On Tuesday, Jelly Roll appeared to confirm the breakup by removing references to Bunny from his Instagram profile, which now simply reads “Music Man.” A moving truck had been seen outside the couple’s Nashville-area home the day before, but it remained unclear whose belongings were being moved.
And on Thursday, Bunny discussed the breakup on his podcast, blaming it on resentment that had been brewing for years.
“On Mother’s Day, we had a little argument, but I don’t think I need the details. And I was so fed up and tired from that argument that I just looked at him and said, ‘Then file for divorce,'” she said.
The two overcame many challenges during their relationship, including a brief separation early in their marriage after Jelly Roll admitted to having an affair.
The pair have since reconciled and frequently discuss their struggles on Bunny’s podcast while co-parenting their two children, Bailey Ann, 18, and Noah Badi, 9, from his previous relationship.
Bunny said on her podcast this week that she and Jelly Roll have been struggling with infertility and that they still plan on having a baby together.
“During the last two years of deciding to have a baby, I had to go through IVF. My hat’s off to all the women, families and couples who are going through IVF, because let me tell you this, this is one of the loneliest, darkest journeys you’ll ever go on,” she said, adding that the process “completely destroyed” her.
