Bunnie Xo Says Near-Amputation Scare Made Her Quit Crystal Meth

Podcast host and author Bunnie Xo says a frightening medical emergency pushed her to stop using crystal meth, a turning point she details in her new memoir Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic.

In the book, released this week, Bunnie — whose real name is Alisa DeFord — writes that she nearly lost her hand after getting a tattoo while high on meth during a difficult period in her life. The experience, she says, forced her to quit the drug for good.

Bunnie describes a "drug-induced manic episode" when she decided to get two stars tattooed on her wrists in what she recalls as a garage setting, Yahoo reported.

She writes that she used meth with the tattooist before the session and urged him to "go deeper" with the needle as the pain intensified.

According to her account, the process went too far and caused severe bleeding when the needle hit her wristbone.

After returning home, her condition quickly worsened. She writes that her wrist began swelling and the pain increased, but she stayed in bed for two days.

When a friend checked on her, the infection had spread. "My entire arm was infected," she recalls, describing extreme swelling and a strong odor that signaled how serious the situation had become.

Doctor's Warning Pushes Bunnie Xo to Quit Meth

Because she did not have health insurance at the time, Bunnie says she delayed treatment. She eventually sought care at a hospital outside Las Vegas, where a doctor warned she was close to losing her hand.

The doctor started her on IV antibiotics and told her that if she had arrived just minutes later, amputation might have been necessary.

According to People, the moment became a wake-up call. Bunnie writes that after reviewing her bloodwork, the doctor told her she was "going to kill" herself if she kept using drugs.

She says the warning, along with the fear of losing her hand, made her decide to stop. "I was done with meth. I would never touch it again," she writes.

Bunnie, who is also known as the host of the "Dumb Blonde" podcast and the wife of Jelly Roll, shares in the memoir that her earlier years included substance use with friends while working in nightclubs.

She writes about using multiple drugs during that time but says the near-amputation scare changed her path.

In a recent interview about the book, Bunnie reflected on what she learned from revisiting her past. "It doesn't matter what you've been through," she said. "Believe in yourself, and know that you can change your life at any time and at any age."