Ashanti and her boyfriend, Nelly, are expecting their first baby together, according to US Weekly.
Pregnancy rumors swirled after the pair were seen at the Black and White Ball, which Nelly was hosting, on Sunday, December 3, 2023. The Black and White Ball was in St. Louis and benefited charities like the Make-a-Wish Foundation and offered scholarships to Harris Stowe University.
During the event, Ashanti and Nelly took to the stage. While Nelly gave a speech, Ashanti placed her hand on her stomach. Nelly also placed his hand on her stomach and kept looking at it, suggesting that she was pregnant or that they were working on expanding their family.
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But it wasn’t until the next day that the rumors were confirmed by Ashanti and Nelly. They also laughed and seemed close throughout the event. The baby will be Ashanti’s first child. Nelly, on the other hand, is already a father of two kids. His first child is Chanelle, a daughter he shares with his ex, Channetta Valentine. He and his ex also had a second child, a son named Cornell Haynes III, before breaking up. Both of his children are in their mid-20s.
Ashanti and Nelly Rekindled Their Romance
Fans have wondered if Ashanti and Nelly would be trying for a family soon despite their on-and-off relationship over the years. The couple first met at a Grammy Awards press event in 2003. They dated until 2013 before eventually parting ways.
Ashanti claimed that they broke up because of insecurities and trust issues. In an interview with PEOPLE, she said that feeling insecure can make you act out of character. Neither of them expected to get back together. However, a decade after they broke up, they were spotted together in Las Vegas.
The two had attended the same boxing match and were holding hands. Nelly would later confirm that they had rekindled their romance on an episode of “Boss Moves with Rasheeda.” After being asked about his relationship status with Ashanti, Nelly said they were cool.
He also clarified by saying that neither of them expected to be back together. They hadn’t planned on rekindling their romance, but it just sort of happened. This was a feeling that Ashanti shared. After spending 10 years apart from each other, she didn’t expect to be with him again…
Aware of their past history, the couple started off by taking things slowly. Fans could see the love blossoming between the two, however, when they shared birthday wishes on Instagram. Nelly posted a series of photos he had taken with Ashanti on her birthday and gave her a tribute.
Ashanti made a romantic gesture, too, when she bought Nelly a new car. The car in question was Nelly’s dream car that he’d wanted since he was a child. It held a lot of sentimental value to him.
Nelly Recently Alluded to Starting a Family With Ashanti
After this moment, fans also started to speculate that the two might be trying to expand their family. One of his fans told Nelly to give Ashanti a baby on an Instagram post. Nelly replied, saying that he was working on it.
And now, just four weeks later, it’s been confirmed that she is, in fact, pregnant.
