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Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic

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From the trailer parks of Vegas to the mansions of Nashville, Bunnie Xo has lived a lot of lives and seen the darkest sides of humanity. Her memoir, Stripped Unfiltered and Unapologetic, is cold, clear evidence that no one is irredeemable. With a heavy dose of humor and a refreshing sense of self-awareness, Bunnie pulls no punches as she shares her journey of redemption while offering some homespun wisdom to those who need a little saving themselves.

Alisa DeFord, known to her millions of fans as Bunnie Xo, started at the bottom and spent the first part of her life falling even deeper. Now, Bunnie Xo is one of today’s most successful podcasters and has paved her way through the entertainment industry as the owner of Dumb Blonde Productions, building an empire with heart and personality at the forefront. 

Stripped Down is the story of how Bunnie Xo rose to the top, how she used her own wiles to reach her goals, how she knew redemption was up to her—and that no one could hand it to her—and a message to anyone who needs advice on breaking their own cycles.

Hilarious, earnest, thought-provoking, and occasionally downright shocking, Stripped Down is a modern-day rag-to-riches story and a message of hope to anyone struggling to redeem themselves.

304 pages, Hardcover

Published February 17, 2026

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About the author

Bunnie Xo

2 books131 followers
Alisa “Bunnie Xo” DeFord has been paving her way through the entertainment industry for years as the owner of Dumb Blonde Productions—building an empire from her various works hosting, producing digital content, and leading conversations with heart and personality at the forefront. Bunnie is most prominently known as the host of Dumb Blonde Podcast, a show that brings all walks of life to light. The podcast is a top-ranking show, #1 on Apple & #2 on Spotify comedy charts with over 1 million downloads a month, and is also one of the largest visual shows on Patreon. Born in Vegas, she now lives in Nashville on a hobby farm with her husband, award-winning musician Jelly Roll, and their children.

source: Amazon

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5 stars
11,774 (61%)
4 stars
5,124 (26%)
3 stars
1,717 (9%)
2 stars
331 (1%)
1 star
86 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,921 reviews
Profile Image for Brandy Loper.
8 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2026
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent! I listed to the audio version, and so happy I did. Hearing Bunny’s voice as she read, you could feel her emotions. Listening to her choking up, and hear her sniffle had me in tears. Even listening to the acknowledgments had me in tears. She is an excellent writer, I hope she continues writing.
10 reviews
February 18, 2026
Stripped Down is a raw, unfiltered journey of self‑exploration, survival and transformation. I listened to the entire audiobook in one day because Bunnie’s voice and honesty pulled me in completely. She shares the trauma of her childhood — abandonment, SA, instability and being consistently overlooked — and the painful moments in her teens and adulthood that shaped her. She opens up about the struggles in her relationship with Jelly, the hard truths they faced, and how they rebuilt with honesty and commitment.

What moved me most was watching her grow into the woman she needed as a child: a steady mother figure for Bailee, a partner who shows up, and a woman who finally learns to show up for herself. Her story is heartbreaking, healing, and ultimately empowering. She doesn’t just survive — she rises.
1 review
March 4, 2026
I'm only on chapter 10 and I'm struggling to get through it. I've always kinda liked Bunnie to some degree, more indifferent, didn't dislike her, watched some of her content.. now I very much dislike her.

This book comes across so self-righteous, arrogant, and zero accountability. The story jumps around, timeline doesn't always make sense and she contradicts herself. I have no doubt that her home life was toxic in certain ways and that's unacceptable for any parent, but a lot seems embellished to justify her poor behaviour and choices. She was beaten over and over by the step mom and aunt but no one saw bruises and said anything despite the uncle apparently being so great? They on/off switch nice to her but beat her as soon as they were alone? Sounds like a evil stepmother Disney movie that she watched too many times. I believe she's convinced herself this was reality so she can justify her choices, I'm just unsure if it's actual reality.

I think she was definitely neglected and craved attention that she didn't get. The whole back to back, 2 guys in a van try and kidnap her and then the milk a snake guy while she's playing on the boat in yard? No one notices these people in the yard? The blankets levitating ghost stuff, or the she felt herself get pregnant immediately and started gaining weight within what, 3 weeks... she sounds desperately in need of attention and not truthful, so I get why her parents mights not always have believed her.

The chicken cacciatore story of that was her stepmother being cruel by making her a very nice homemade lunch? At another point all in the same paragraph she says she had height on her, was strong, would fight boys, but then her mom lifted her off her feet and rammed her head through a door?? Is the stepmother a 6'2" built man? Did no one notice the busted door or cuts I would imagine to be on her face? The aunt trying to drown the half sister, I dunno... everything seems to be significantly embellished.

I don't think her parents were amazing, I think there are some aspects of truth to her stories, but I think a point came where they tried to clean up and do better.. like putting her in private schools, they not often but sometimes went on vacations, she played sports, she obviously had swimming lessons far enough to get her lifeguard certification as she talks about working as a lifeguard. At the moment I'm at the shoplifting stuff where she talks about it with pride and zero accountability. I don't know if I can finish this, my eyes hurt from rolling them so much. I thought I would empathize with her as I grew up with a lot of emotional neglect/abuse, and I was molested at 6 years old almost everyday for several months, but I don't empathize with her at all, instead all my flags are being raised that this whole book and her stories feel very off, untruthful and almost insulting.

I've kept reading and adding thoughts, not because the book is good, but because I'm truly in awe of how this got published with so many inconsistencies and blatant untruths (like the picture in the book of her with her mom, dad, and the dog - yet she clearly states several times in the book that her mom left when she was 3 months old and she never saw her again until she was 36)

Why am I still reading this awful book... is she completely delusional? She left home at 14, she was expelled, now she's 16 "on the streets" but staying at friends, she's back at the school she was expelled from?? She's pregnant again and felt it immediately at conception like the first time, goes back home, them taking her to hospital is just for show, now Tony took his own life because he couldn't get over their 16 year old teen pregnancy that she lost, and their breakup? Is she serious? Also, in most of her running away, "living life on the streets", she's staying with Stacy, who is her cousin... so she's staying at her aunts, who I'm sure is in contact with her father. This woman is so full of herself and full of shit!

She even tells on her own lies in the book, she clearly says in chapter 2 that her mom (Vanessa) left when she was 3 months old, then the 1 phone call when she was 8, then the AOL chat at 22... but in the pictures in her book there's one of Vanessa, Bill, herself and a dog.. and she sure isn't a 3 month old baby in that picture. Also, when she saw Vanessa at 36 she had no stove, gas, running water (shit in a bucket or something she said), but she had a computer with internet and found her magically on AOL?

I'm barely scratching the surface of all the contradicting bs in this book, this review would be as long as the book. Page 186 she says karma went to prison in Feb. 2016, she talks about still working with lawyers to get him out etc... then on page 197/198 she says it would take over a decade for the wounds to start to heal from that relationship... umm can she do math? Feb. 2026.. this year is exactly a decade. What is she talking about, over a decade...

Who is actually believing her version of events? Who edited this book? It's so bad. I really regret buying this and giving my money to support her in any way. She is the same person she always was, hasn't changed. The way she's proud of stealing from stores and clients, she stole from us selling a story that she had changed but her attitude in this book proves she hasn't. She's a lying, immature, shit human. This book is going straight where it belongs... the trash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Em Keeler.
136 reviews
February 25, 2026
First thing always first - CHECK. TRIGGER. WARNINGS. Lots of them for this book.

Now. I always struggle to rate a memoir poorly because it's THEIR story to tell... However, similar to other celebrity memoirs written seemingly "too soon" after/in pain (see also: not healed but I say I am/I act self-aware, but I still deeply need more therapy), it's very self-righteous and hard to read. You can share your real raw struggles (done fabulously in this book) without claiming to now have it all together (done constantly in this book).

Also. Your life is tragic enough you don't need to embellish stories for shock value. You don't remember what your mom looks like from when you were 3 months old, and you didn't get depression from touching a dead person. Let's just, stop. Ok thanks, had to let that out. Phew.
Profile Image for Michelle Palmer.
42 reviews1 follower
February 20, 2026
I have so many mixed emotions about this book. The story was good and solid. I struggle with the cavalier attitude towards sobriety and what comes across as arrogance of her spiritual development. I also don’t doubt her self awareness or growth but at times she still comes across as very angry and there are times when there is no accountability for her role in some of these situations. Overall I enjoyed reading it as it was a reminder of what happens in addiction & trauma.
Profile Image for I v e t t e ✨.
138 reviews39 followers
February 19, 2026
Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic by Bunnie XO is exactly what the title promises a raw, honest, and completely unfiltered memoir. Alisa (Bunnie XO) doesn’t shy away from any details. She owns her mistakes, embraces who she is, and never apologizes for it.

Listening to her narrate her own memoir adds an extra layer of impact, especially in the vulnerable & heartbreaking moments. She’s funny, she’s real, and she brings her story to life in a way that feels deeply personal.

I highly recommend the audiobook!
Profile Image for ♥Milica♥.
2,037 reviews808 followers
May 4, 2026
Oh my gosh, Bunnie!!! This was heartbreaking, in every way imaginable. So many people failed her as a kid, it's no wonder her life took the direction it did.

She's brutally honest, something that's nice to see in celebrity memoirs, and tells us all about her darkest moments (there were A LOT), and how she came out on top.

Some of the terrible situations she found herself in were relatable to me, so it took me a bit longer to finish this book than it normally would have. Trust me though, I was savouring every word.

She gives credit to God for keeping her safe throughout her life, which was yet another thing I could see myself in. There's no way she would be where she is now if God didn't have her back.

I opted for the audiobook, which Bunnie narrates herself, adding a lot of emotion to the already heartrending story.

I think she's a great storyteller, and hope she continues writing, I'd love to see her pen a fictional book, she'd be amazing at that.
Profile Image for Sarah Teters.
3 reviews
February 23, 2026
I hate only giving this book a 2/5 stars because who am I to “rate” someone’s retelling of their lives, especially whenever it is full of heartbreak, trauma, abuse, and violence? I will say that I give her a 5/5 stars for her honesty, her resilience, and her strength. There were a couple things that bothered me, the story jumped around a lot and at times were hard to follow. I think she is still healing and it’s very obvious in this book. At times it feels like a self help book more than an autobiography and if that is what she was aiming for, that’s great. It just felt like it didn’t stick with a genre and was a little chaotic. I still love her though and will continue to follow her journey!
Profile Image for Karol.
897 reviews19 followers
March 12, 2026
RESILIENCE—RECOVERY—TRIUMPH

Bunnie spent the majority of her life going through the shit mill.

Her story brought back traumatic memories of my childhood and reminded me of the hell a friend of mine went through too. We found ways to cope, support and move forward.

I know of Bunnie XO and Jelly Roll simply by reading celebrity articles about them. I haven’t tuned into her podcast or listened to his music, yet.

Well written, heartbreaking with a happy ending.
Profile Image for Jess.
263 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2026
Oh thank god that’s over. It’s not that it was bad. I truly do like Bunnie and Jelly and I had a pretty good grasp on the depravity of her story prior to reading the book. No part of it came as a huge shock to me. I also realize I chose to read the book, no one made me. I actually listened to it on audible and Bunnie narrated it herself which I thought was great. Obviously she’s not a writer. There was a lot of inconsistencies and fragments along the story. We’d be on one path and abruptly end up somewhere else without explanation and that was a bit of a struggle. As far as the story itself, I get that it was something she needed to tell for herself and we all anted to hear it out of morbid curiosity. But did it really need to be told? Apart from her upbringing which was truly deplorable, Bunnie did all of this to herself and I don’t think we needed to feel sorry for her. I’m proud of her self awareness and ability to turn her life around and also fight for her marriage, I know how hard that is to do. I do like her, but the book was underwhelming, uncomfortable, and hard d to get through. Unpopular opinion.
Profile Image for Randi Himes.
226 reviews28 followers
February 27, 2026
Bunnie is an amazing example of "do whatever the fuck it takes to survive".

She didn't dwell on the shit hand she was dealt; she adapted and kept on. That is a quality everyone needs to have...She deserves every ounce of the love she and Jelly have created.
Profile Image for Cayla Brett.
1 review
March 1, 2026
I wish I would have counted the times this book stated, “& to this day.” While I am grateful that Bunnie has published her story and truly hope that it helps people, this book is written like a middle school diary and was a struggle to finish.
Profile Image for Jessica Harris.
1 review
February 16, 2026
If you love Bunnie, you’ll love this truly Unapologetic and Unfiltered story. There were no bars held with this one. Bunnie had me laughing, crying, and wanting to stand next to her ready to defend her. Whatever you thought you knew about Bunnie, this sheds more light on how she became the truly amazing person she is today.
515 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2026
My heart breaks for her childhood but I just find her inauthentic
Profile Image for Devra Hampton.
45 reviews2 followers
March 4, 2026
This book is an example of how anyone in America can make money. I should be surprised about how anyone thought this girl had an interesting story to tell but I’m not. She made money selling herself to men and then telling a story of how the biggest example of trash can make it big.
This book is filled with exaggerated stories about a shitty life where she made all the decisions. She didn’t have an anxiety attack that caused her to be hospitalized. She didn’t jog around a hotel room for hours because of high anxiety. Jelly Roll has never been “chubby”. That man has been disgustingly obese for most of his life and has probably paid for any sex he has ever had. She literally compares prostitution to being an actress….sorry girl sex work does not take talent and is not a career. Oh, and if it was possible for a woman to know they were pregnant the instant a man finished or shortly after, a lot of companies wouldn’t be in business. Ridiculous.
Textbook example of someone complaining about how terrible their life is and admit in the same sentence she is the reason behind it all. This woman was selling herself for money while being married. That is not marriage. Also, it’s filled with talk of spirits, ghosts, feeling energy, “my truth”, and “falling in love with myself.” Absolute ignorance. But hey, she’s still making money so I guess anyone can make it big.
Profile Image for Reading Rachel .
281 reviews49 followers
March 23, 2026
I really loved this book! I saw so much of myself in Bunnie even though we are so different. I'm a plain Jain who desires to be a librarian and Bunnie is a beautiful woman who can light up a room but it doesn't matter...were one in the same and that's Women, women that have been abused and addicted and survived. We both fought our whole lives in some way or other and we're both still here because God said I'm not done with you yet. Bunnie XO I love you and I see you and you are dear, precious and worthy.
Profile Image for Sydney B.
76 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2026
Recommended by a coworker! Was a good listen, very honest and at some times, emotional
Profile Image for Tracy.
404 reviews3 followers
March 3, 2026
I’m typically a sucker for a memoir read by the author (audio) but this one didn’t work for me. I actually think hearing it in Bunny’s voice brings the book down a full star for me. Maybe this is because she has that millennial sound that influences use when speaking…you know the one. Or maybe I just didn’t find her authentic?? Either way I should have walked away from this book a couple of chapters in or maybe just switched to the print version. It didn’t work for me.
Profile Image for Kevin Muir.
57 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2026
Full of LIES!

This book is so chocked full of lies and just simply made up BS it's unreal. The keen reader will find Bunnie contradicting herself throughout the book. For someone who claims to be a Christian, she uses the F word like a shower uses water. Total BS. Save your money.
Profile Image for Amelu Magoo.
5 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2026
Oh Bunnie. The hurt and chaos she experienced her whole life! Some was shocking, some so sad my heart broke and continues to break for her.
It was a smooth read, sometimes difficult due to the content she was writing.
I hope she has truly found her Happily Ever After!
Profile Image for Kayla Hewett.
424 reviews18 followers
April 28, 2026
Wow, has this girl been THROUGH it! I give her so much credit for persevering because I am not sure if anyone else would have been able to do it. The grit, the determination, the heart, to have a better life and do better is just remarkable. I highly recommend listening to this one on audio, the emotion in Bunnie's voice got me so many times.
Profile Image for Sheryce Stewart.
1 review
February 20, 2026
Ok so my review is absolutely honest because unlike a lot of these reviews I was not a huge Bunnie fan. Now, I say that lightly because I do listen to her podcast. Not because I love her but because I do think she’s an empathetic journalist. I know some people might not see her as a journalist but she does a lot of research prior to guests and she seems to always ask the right questions.

I am so far from being like bunny, I’m a tomboy, I hate rich men, I don’t like that look, being in Playboy never appealed to me. In other words we are total opposites, or so I thought.

From page one until the end her life and my life had so many parallels. Not exact situations but the feelings behind those situations were much like mine. Guilt, shame, independence, toxic relationships, addiction, anxiety, depression, chaos, mommy issues, daddy issues, resilience, independence, etc etc. When I stopped comparing and started identifying with her story I was able to see the strength and determination in her life but also IN MINE! Inspiring book to say the least. Not to be cliche but Bunnie and this book prove you can NEVER judge a book by its cover. The only reason why it’s not a 5 star review is because I only give 5’s to the greats. (Example: Toni Morrison) I will read or listen to anything Bunnie does because one way or another I will be able to learn something about myself or this world. ❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Jordan.
212 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2026
This was written so well! My heart hurts for all that Bunnie went through, but I’m glad she shared her story and seems to have found peace now. She took every single lesson that life gave her and turned it into empathy, understanding and a desire to protect herself and her peace.
I also can’t wait to see the movie adaptation (whenever that comes out)!
Profile Image for Kristin.
631 reviews75 followers
March 2, 2026
This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. It's real, raw, and heartbreaking. My heart broke at her childhood. I firmly believe some women are going to be saved from this book. I'm here for it.
Profile Image for Laura Michelle.
588 reviews23 followers
May 9, 2026
I of course know who Bunnie is, but did not know much about her at all. This memoir was so captivating and really raw. I flew through this and finished it in one day. Her story is so amazing and a story of redemption.
Profile Image for Emily Rae.
179 reviews581 followers
Read
May 15, 2026
Really enjoyed this on audio, I love when authors narrate their own memoirs and Bunnie did a great job with hers. I didn’t know much about Bunnie prior to listening to this, what a traumatic life she lived. Her story is very inspiring. I don’t rate memoirs, but this one was entertaining to read/listen to.
2 reviews
February 19, 2026
If you listen to her podcast-you have already got this whole story. I did appreciate her reading it as it added emotion. And the message in the end was heartfelt. Just disappointed that there wasn’t anymore storyline that what the world has already heard if your an avid listener.
Profile Image for Casey Morrison.
92 reviews
March 14, 2026
It was decent. Some of it was repetitive.Found myself saying yea right a lot.
Profile Image for Sheila The Reader.
525 reviews34 followers
Read
March 17, 2026
I’ve always been a little intrigued by Bunnie XO anytime I’ve caught snippets of her Dumb Blonde podcast or seen her pop up on social media. And honestly, I can’t fully explain why because she’s about as opposite from me as you can get. But there’s just something about her that pulls me in. I think it comes down to her honesty. The way she owns her story, her trauma, her mistakes. She’s unapologetically herself, and that’s hard not to respect.

Going into this, I didn’t know much about her beyond being an entrepreneur in her own right and married to Jelly Roll. I don’t even really listen to his music, so this wasn’t coming from a place of being a fan. I was just curious. And I’m really glad I picked it up on audio because hearing her tell her own story added so much.

This is not an easy listen. Not even a little bit. Her life story is full of things that are genuinely hard to sit with… drugs, violence, predation, sex work, instability, all of it. It’s very raw and very unfiltered. There were moments where you could actually hear the emotion in her voice, especially when she was revisiting some of the more traumatic parts of her life.

What really stuck with me though is how much this felt like a story of what happens when a child isn’t protected by the people who should protect them. It reminded me a lot of Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre in that way. Bunnie was put in situations she never should have been in, and her beauty, instead of being something positive, often brought the wrong kind of attention and led to even more harm.

And yet, somehow, she’s come out on the other side of all of that with a surprising amount of compassion. That was something I struggled to fully wrap my head around. There were so many moments where I thought, I would have completely cut these people off. But she doesn’t. She still holds space for them in a way that feels almost hard to understand unless you’ve lived a life like hers. Maybe it’s because she’s so open about her own flaws that it’s made her more accepting of everyone else’s.

At the end of the day, this was a really interesting read for me. It’s not going to be for everyone, and it definitely comes with a long list of trigger warnings. This is not one for the pearl clutchers. But I was completely pulled in and ended up finishing the audiobook in about 24 hours.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,921 reviews