Nelly and Ashanti aren’t only expecting their first child together — they’re engaged! The 43-year-old “Foolish” singer made the announcement during a new interview while reflecting on what she’s looking forward to about becoming a mom to their future baby.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti told Essence during an interview that was published on Wednesday, April 17. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”
Though she didn’t mention the 49-year-old rapper by name, fans knew exactly who she was talking about. Nelly is also a father to his children, Shawn, Chanelle, Sydney, Cornell. The “Dilemma” artist shares Chanelle and Cornell with his ex Channetta Valentine, and he adopted Shawn and Sydney after his late sister, Jackie, died of leukemia.
Nelly and Ashanti started their decades-long romance in 2003 after meeting at a Grammy Awards press conference. Although fans knew they were dating for years, the pair didn’t confirm their relationship status until 2015 when Ashanti confirmed they had broken up in 2013.
During an interview on The Meredith Vieira Show in 2015, Ashanti noted she felt “betrayed” while revealing that she and Nelly’s romance had ended two years prior.
“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities it allows them to act out of character. I’ve been betrayed,” the “Happy” artist said. “Again, you just have to grow. You have to grow up and accept responsibilities for the things that you do. “I’m not a big fan of people being cowards. I think it’s really important to know yourself and understand what you want and get it. I’m in a different place right now.”
Nevertheless, they patched things up by 2023. Toward the end of that year, Nelly confirmed they were back together during an appearance on Philo TV’s “Boss Moves with Rasheeda.”
“Yeah, we cool again,” Nelly pointed out. “I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that …[was] planned. I think we’re both pretty much doing what we do. … It’s no pressure. You know, before I felt like both of us are doing what we’re doing career wise. And when you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.”