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Update on Ashanti and Nelly’s Baby

Photo credit: Ashanti/Instagram

For months, there’s been so much mystery swirling around Ashanti’s surprise pregnancy, and it hasn’t been helped by the recent controversies surrounding her husband Nelly.

Since Nelly’s arrest, the newest rumor was that she had actually already had her baby.

The story started trending shortly after Nelly was arrested on charges of substance possession a couple of weeks ago.

When news of the arrest started to spread, fans were concerned about how the stress of it all would impact Ashanti’s pregnancy. 

Ashanti Confirmed Birth of Baby Boy 

But according to some outlets, some fans even started to ask, “Did Ashanti have her baby yet?”

The rumor was supposedly going round that Ashanti had actually given birth to a baby boy last month. 

While this seemed like a pretty wild take, she finally confirmed that it was, in fact, true.

Ashanti first shared the news on her Instagram, and a rep later revealed the gender and name of the baby.

Ashanti Speaks Out On Motherhood

In what seems to be a brand deal with Frida Baby, Ashanti shared a carousel promoting their shorts.

In a video, she said “Four weeks postpartum- you have no idea what this body can do.”

And in the caption, she wrote:

“Funny how life’s plans aren’t…always on time.. lol. I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings! This is what postpartum looks like. I’m loving these super cozy @fridamom shorts! I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.”

Shortly after the Instagram post, a rep for Ashanti and Nelly confirmed the news and provided details about the baby’s birth.

When Was Ashanti And Nelly’s Baby Born? 

The rep revealed that Ashanti had given birth to a baby boy, named Kareem Kenkaide Hayes.

The baby boy was born on July 18, 2024, just five days after Ashanti’s mom’s birthday party that Ashanti had shared pictures of just hours after Nelly’s arrest earlier this month.

The day of the baby’s birth makes Nelly’s arrest all the more shocking.

Nelly was arrested on August 8, 2024, just 21 days after baby Kareem was born.

Nelly And Ashanti’s Alleged Relationship Issues

You can’t help but wonder if they were keeping the birth a secret because of all of the alleged issues surrounding their relationship.

After all, there has been so much about Nelly and Ashanti’s relationship recently that’s been shrouded in secrecy. 

And the news that Ashanti had given birth and not told anybody is just the latest mystery about the couple in the last few months. 

They didn’t announce that they had gotten married for many months after their secret ceremony. 

It was so secret that fans started to discuss whether it would ever really happen after the couple had already tied the knot.

In November of last year, a short while after Ashanti surprised Nelly for his birthday, one fan commented that it was “obvious” how much she loved the rapper. 

They went on to remark on just how long they had been in each others’ lives, having first gotten together over 20 years ago. 

The fan went on to discuss how Ashanti has previously been open about how much she wants marriage to be a part of her life. 

In fact, the conversation soon became pretty critical of Nelly for failing to give Ashanti what she obviously wanted. 

The fan wrote that the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to propose showed a lack of commitment. 

Others agreed, writing that Nelly just wasn’t marriage material and was fully aware of the fact. 

Fans Speak Out On Nelly And Ashanti’s Relationship 

It was also suggested that the reason the couple have shown themselves to be so happy together again was down to nostalgia. 

One fan suggested that they were in a kind of honeymoon stage because they were back together after years apart, which made it feel deeper than their first time around.

However, the fan, and many others, expected those feelings to wear off once Nelly realized that Ashanti wanted to take things to the next level.

Other people, however, seemed to think that it was the other way around, and Ashanti was really the one who was keeping the couple from being husband and wife. 

One person wrote, “Apparently Nelly has been trying for a while to get back together, and even had discussions about marriage.”

They continued to say that every time the subject came up, Ashanti would change the topic or ghost Nelly.

Obviously, it was pretty much impossible to really know what was going on between the couple from the outside. 

The Truth About Nelly And Ashanti’s Secret Marriage & Pregnancy 

It later emerged that the pair had already in fact been married for quite a long time and simply didn’t bother to tell us. 

Media outlets got hold of public documents that proved the couple have been married since last December.

Not only that, but we also learned that the couple were expecting their first child. 

A couple of months ago, Ashanti posted some new photos on Instagram to celebrate her pregnancy.

The photos showed her lying on a beach in a gold bikini. 

In the caption of the post, she wrote that her impending motherhood was “the greatest feeling ever.”

Nelly and Ashanti had previously announced both their pregnancy and that they were engaged in April of this year.

But fans had no idea that they had already taken the final step and tied the knot in private. 

This just goes to show that the couple are more than capable of keeping a secret. 

So the rumor that Ashanti had already had the baby proved more popular than many would’ve expected. 

And now, it’s finally been confirmed that she was hiding the baby’s birth for weeks.

Fan’s Theory Why Nelly And Ashanti Are So Secretive

But why have the couple been so eager to keep us out of the loop on their relationship milestones?

One potential fan theory about why has thrown everything about their true relationship into question. 

It’s been suggested that Nelly only decided to share the news of his marriage to Ashanti to deflect attention away from a bombshell allegation that had started spreading about him. 

YouTuber Tasha K had accused Nelly of fathering a secret child while cheating on his former partner, Shantel Jackson. 

Tasha K claimed that Nelly had a fling with a life coach named Shanna Bianca a few years ago. 

In 2020, Shanna allegedly became pregnant with Nelly’s son, named Chase.

While this was just a rumor, suspicions around it were raised due to the timing of the allegation. 

Tasha K made her claims on the very same day that Nelly announced that he and Ashanti were now husband and wife. 

So did Nelly share his news to distract fans from what was being said about him?

This theory has left many devastated fans feeling sorry for Ashanti, who has waited decades to finally settle down with Nelly. 

Ashanti Opened Up About Relationship With Nelly

Despite numerous rumors of other relationships, Ashanti’s relationship with Nelly is the only one the public knows the singer took seriously. 

They split up in 2013 after over ten years together on and off. 

Many were delighted that they went on to get back together, including Ashanti herself. 

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ashanti opened up about the aftermath of their initial breakup in 2013. 

She said that she didn’t think they would ever have a conversation again after they split. 

So for the couple to not only reunite but eventually become pregnant must have meant the world to her. 

Since becoming pregnant, Ashanti has been much more open about what’s going on than her husband. 

In her interview, she gave fans a hint as to when we can expect her baby to be born. 

She promised that although they were already married, the couple were going to have another big, public celebration sometime in the future. 

But she said at the time that they would wait until she’d had her baby first. 

She explained that this was because she wanted to look as good as possible when she walked down the aisle again. 

But now that it’s been confirmed that the couple’s baby has already been born, their plans must have changed.

Nelly and Ashanti’s Reality Show

There have also been rumors that the birth and the couple’s big wedding celebrations will play a major part in their upcoming reality show. 

Last month, multiple outlets reported that Nelly and Ashanti will be hitting the small screen in a show about their relationship and growing family. 

The reports about a reality series were first shared by The Jasmine Brand on their Instagram. 

And some insiders close to the couple have shared some of the first details we’ve learned about the show.

It was reported that sources had confirmed the show is set to start filming in St. Louis, Nelly’s hometown.

Surely, the show will also show us more details about Ashanti’s pregnancy journey too. 

But whether or not we’ll see her reaction to Nelly’s latest arrest remains to be seen. 

Fans Slam Kelly Rowland

Photo Credits: Kelly Rowland/Instagram

Kelly Rowland has some pretty controversial opinions about one of her music industry peers. Recently, it’s gotten her into trouble with fans who don’t exactly agree with her. It all has to do with an R&B star who gets himself into trouble, time and time again: Chris Brown.

According to TMZ, Kelly came to Chris’s defense at the 2022 American Music Awards when she was presenting the award for Favorite Male R&B Artist, which Chris won, to the disappointment of some audience members. Chris wasn’t there to pick up his award that night because of what’d happened earlier that year.

He was originally supposed to perform a Michael Jackson tribute at the AMAs, but he took to Instagram just days before the awards ceremony to announce it’d been canceled. He posted a video of him rehearsing Michel Jackson-inspired moves with other dancers. Below it, he wrote that he’d been canceled for reasons unknown. 

TMZ speculated that it could’ve been because he was still considered a taboo artist, after what he did to Rihanna before the 2009 Grammys, among other things. The outlet pointed out that Michael had also become a controversial figure in light of more recent documentaries about things he allegedly did behind closed doors.

So, when Kelly announced Chris as the winner, she was met with both cheering and booing from the crowd. Kelly, who was accepting the award on his behalf, heard the boos and immediately put an end to them. 

She told the audience to chill out, and then began praising Chris and his career. Kelly thanked him for making great music and for being an incredible performer. She said she would take the award and bring it to him, and finished by saying that she loved him. 

Kelly Is on Chris Brown’s Side

Social media was filled with disbelief. People quickly hopped on Twitter to comment on what Kelly had just said. One user asked what decent thing Chris Brown had done in recent years that warranted any type of praise.

Another asked why Chris was still winning awards and why Kelly was on stage thanking him. Somebody else simply wrote: “Kelly Rowland defending Chris Brown with her whole chest. Yikes”

But her AMA’s speech wasn’t the last time that Kelly championed Chris. A couple days later, TMZ caught Kelly in West Hollywood. Their reporter asked her more questions about how she felt about the questionable R&B singer. 

While she was careful with her words, the outlet claimed that she was very much on Chris’s side. She said that grace was very real and that everyone needed a dose of it.

Kelly stressed that before pointing fingers at anybody, people should realize how grateful they are for every moment. She added that it was important to remember that all of us are human.

When TMZ’s reporter asked if Chris should be forgiven, Kelly’s answer was pretty diplomatic, but it was clear that her answer was yes. She shared that everyone needed to be forgiven for anything they could be doing. She said that all of us come up short in some sort of way and that everybody deserved grace.

Internet Users Did Not Side with Kelly

The disagreement with Kelly could be heard strongly in the world of online threads and chat forums. One Reddit user asked what loyalty she owed him, and why she was choosing that battle to fight.

Someone said that they’d worked on songs together. Every time someone hopped on a track with Chris, they always did interviews praising him. They added that some come off as genuinely brainwashed, while it seemed like for others it was a contractual obligation. 

RELATED: Kelly Rowland Crossed the Line

A third user wrote that they were all for rehabilitation, but Chris had continued harming others for over a decade. The time for grace was long past and it was time to call out people like him.

Another person pointed out that Kelly had claimed she was a DV survivor. It made her position feel a bit worse because she would’ve known how Chris’s victims felt. 

A report by Essence revealed that Kelly released a song called Dirty Laundry, in which she sang about an ex-boyfriend who’d allegedly hurt her physically. In the song, she claimed that her past lover had put his hands on her. He even turned her against Beyonce at one point. 

Chris Has an Extensive History of Violent Behavior

Unfortunately, Kelly is just one of many celebrities who have come to Chris’ defense. A lot of the time they are male artists. Justin Bieber even called him legendary in a 2019 Instagram post. 

According to The Brag, many of Chris’s supporters believe that he only made one mistake a long time ago and that he deserves to be forgiven for it. However, the outlet also published a list of all the other times that Chris has been in legal trouble because of the ways he treated women. 

He reportedly pushed a woman onto the ground and damaged her knee at a nightclub in 2013. He was accused of hitting a woman in the face and taking her cell phone from her while in a club in Las Vegas in 2016.

In 2017, his ex-girlfriend, Karrueceh Tran, got a five-year restraining order against him. In court, she shared the threatening messages that she’d gotten from him, per USA Today. More recently, in 2022, Page Six reported that he was accused of having his way with a woman on a yacht in Miami, and found himself in the middle of a $20 million lawsuit.

His latest lawsuit wasn’t filed by women. An article by People Magazine revealed that he and his entourage are being sued for $50 million because of the physical harm they allegedly caused 4 of his concertgoers in July 2024.

Chris’ Career Has Remained Primarily Unaffected

CAknowledge claims that Chris has a net worth of $60 million. Despite the controversy connected to his name, the R&B singer is still accepted in the music industry. He continues to make albums and win accolades. 

Chris has been nominated for 14 Grammys since 2009, and he won one in 2012. He’s also frequently been nominated for awards by other big establishments like the Billboard Music Awards, the BET Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards.

In an article written by BuzzFeed staff member, Natasha Jokic, she said that when people who harmed others were given more power, it set a precedent for others like them. She interviewed a certified counselor named Shanita Brown.

They talked about men who were known to be allegedly dangerous to women but were still being given more fame and money. Shanita shared that it reinforced the idea that those kinds of men were not held accountable, that nobody would believe survivors, and they shouldn’t speak up.

Media Outlets Are Questioning Kelly’s Motives

Lainey Gossip released a report about how Kelly stood up for Chris and questioned what her motives were. The writer pointed out that in many cases where famous black men had been accused of hurting others, black women were often there to defend them. She wrote that there seemed to be a community maternal and protective instinct that kicked in.

The writer asked why black women were tasked with protecting black men when they really hadn’t shown up for them in the same way. She talked about how Twitter users were reminding Kelly, who the writer said is considered to be dark-skinned, that Chris has often been accused of being colorist.

Madame Noire reported that a woman made an allegation that she was too dark to be allowed into his party. Other women also claimed they had similar experiences.

Lainey Gossip also commented on how women seem to get more of a backlash for supporting Chris than men do. When Normani appeared with him in one of his 2022 music videos, she was slammed by fans online, per Page Six.

An article by Blavity revealed that Ciara received a similar reaction when she released a song with him in 2023. The same was true for Chloe Bailey when he featured on one of her singles. However, when male artists like Usher praised Chris, it didn’t seem to cause the same kind of uproar. 

Are JLo and Ben Affleck Actually Getting Divorced?

Photo Credits: Jennifer Lopez/Instagram

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, the megastar couple affectionately known as ‘Bennifer,’ are not new to media scrutiny. The pair captivated the world when they rekindled their romance and later got married. 

However, there are rumors that a split is imminent, and divorce is on the cards. But is divorce actually looming?  Let’s take a look at the facts.

According to Mirror, Ben chose JLo’s 55th birthday to complete the purchase of a $20.5 million bachelor pad of a mansion in Pacific Palisades. JLo reportedly described the move as a “stab in the heart.” To those watching, Ben’s big solo purchase on July 24, 2024, his wife’s birthday of all days, was a sure sign of trouble in paradise.

Real estate seems to feature heavily in their marriage. Just days after Ben bought his mansion, the couple put the home they bought in May 2023 on the market for $68 million. 

JLo completed her own real estate sale around the same time. Her New York City penthouse sold for $23 million on her birthday. The transaction didn’t go unnoticed and people began speculating that the pair were liquidizing their assets in preparation for their split. 

Sources close to the couple say that their divorce documents are prepared and ready even if not actually submitted. Apparently, they are waiting for the right moment to make their divorce announcement. Expectations are that the announcement will talk about their mutual love and respect rather than attempt to blame and shame.

Ben and JLo’s Relationship Is Over

JLo and Ben also reportedly haven’t lived together for several months. JLo has spent most of her time on the East Coast, whereas Ben has stayed in LA. Speculation moved up a notch when they spent their second anniversary on July 16 far apart in different cities. 

Marital issues between Ben and JLo have been reported since at least May 2024. Since then, Ben has moved into a $100,000 rental near his ex-wife Jennifer Garner’s Brentwood home, where his three children Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel live, and sold what they once thought would be their dream home. 

The ‘Bennifer’ romance turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster ride for the pair. They started dating back in 2000, got engaged, and then broke up in 2004. To everyone’s excitement, they tried again in 2021, finally marrying in Las Vegas on July 16th, 2022.

RELATED: Ben Affleck and JLo Are Falling Apart 

It was all very low-key, but expectations were high when they celebrated their wedding in style a month later in Georgia. ‘Bennifer 2.0’ seemed secure, and fans were happy. 

Now, sources say the marriage is all but over. The romance has fizzled out, and all that’s left is the announcement and the paperwork. According to sources, the pair couldn’t find a way to make the compromises they needed to make their relationship work. 

So far, there has been no official announcement, but the signs are clear and hard to ignore. Ben and JLo are now living apart, and it seems obvious that they are actively securing their assets to prepare for their new lives.

Blake Shelton Speaks Out About Miranda Lambert

Photo Credits: Blake Shelton/Instagram and Miranda Lambert/Instagram

The world of country music was shocked when Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert announced their divorce after just four years of marriage. What was even more shocking was how fast the divorce happened. The couple was divorced before they even announced that they were separated.

Blake did explain how this was possible. The two divorced in Oklahoma. Since there were no children involved, it was easy to push the separation through the courts.

The two also had a prenuptial agreement, which meant it was easy to separate the finances, especially anything that they brought into the marriage. It took around 10 days after filing for divorce for it to be granted by the courts.

Rumors of Infidelity Quickly Spread

Since the divorce, the two have moved on. Blake is with Gwen Stefani and Miranda Lambert is married to Brendan McLoughlin.

The two are still friends despite their marriage not working out. They were “cool” with each other shortly after the divorce. They both took the opinion that “it is what it is.”

There were plenty of rumors about why the split happened, with many looking to blame Gwen Stefani. After all, Gwen and Blake announced their relationship shortly afterward. However, Blake denies rumors of an affair, saying that it was during The Voice Season 9 that they developed feelings for each other.

Instead, it looks to have been the other way around. Blake confirmed that the album he recorded shortly after the split, She’s Got a Way with Words, included a lot of lyrics connected to what he was going through in his divorce.

There are lines about how a partner lied and cheated, and he shared that he wrote the songs when at rock bottom. He needed to get the feelings out so that people could empathize with him.

Friends close to Miranda deny that she cheated. Miranda also denies that she had an affair.

While there were rumors that the two split because they couldn’t agree on having children, that hasn’t been confirmed. Blake always said that the power of already being divorced when they announced their split was that the rumor mill wouldn’t have as much time to churn in between separation updates.

Are Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Still Friends?

Sources tell a different story. While Blake says they are friends, sources close to them say that they are not.

Instead, it looks like the two try to avoid each other as much as possible, especially when they are in Nashville. That’s not easy to do, though.

Miranda also reportedly doesn’t like Gwen (and vice versa). The two will have their friends check to see if each other is at an event, according to Yahoo! Entertainment. Their friends think everyone involved should move on considering the divorce was almost 10 years ago now!

It’s possible that Miranda doesn’t have anything against the now-married couple. Instead, some friends suggest that she just wants to avoid an awkward situation. That isn’t always possible due to all of them being in the same circle in the music business, but Miranda tries her best.

Who is Anna Faris’ New Husband?

Photo Credits: Anna Faris/Instagram

Anna Faris has a new hubby, and not a lot of people know about him. The comedic actress, who starred in hit movies like “Scary Movie” and “The House Bunny,” was previously married to actor Ben Indra from 2004 to 2008 and Chris Pratt from 2009 to 2018. Let’s take a look at all the details of her new husband.

Anna Faris married cinematographer Michael Barrett in 2021. Michael was born in Riverside, California in 1970.

RELATED: Are Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Secretly Engaged?

The cinematographer said he wanted to get into film in high school, so he didn’t opt to move far from Hollywood. Michael attended UCLA and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art history, though he also studied photography and painting.

While pursuing his degree, his painting teacher told him to take film classes, according to People Magazine. Michael went on to earn a master’s degree in film from Columbia University.

RELATED: When Shannen Doherty Found Out Her Husband Was Cheating

Michael has exercised his cinematography skills in numerous films throughout his career. A few highlights include “Bobby” and “Supergirl.” He also worked on “CSI: Miami,” where he received an ASC award in 2003 for his work.

Anna and Michael Have an Adorable Love Story

Anna and Michael started dating shortly after they worked together on the set of the 2018 film “Overboard.” Shortly after working together, the pair were spotted in public on dinner dates. This was only a month after Anna and Chris Pratt announced their separation.

People Magazine shared that Anna and Michael were engaged in 2019. However, the two movie-makers didn’t have a lavish wedding.

They actually opted to elope in 2021. The pair were wed in a private courthouse marriage somewhere in the state of Washington.

Fans spotted a ring on Anna’s finger in 2019, though the couple opted to keep their relationship on the down-low. However, their engagement was anything but secret. Friends, family, and even costars knew about their budding love affair.

RELATED: Zac Efron Breaks Silence After Drowning Incident

Anna has said that she has had to learn how to accept love in this relationship, possibly alluding to relationship woes from her past. In a recent interview with People Magazine, the star said that security and spending time together have been hallmarks of her new relationship with Michael.

“We realized early on that we didn’t want to be apart, as so many people have to do in this industry,” said Anna. “And so we really prioritized us getting to be together, which is new for me. […] I’ve normally, in my other marriages spent a lot of time apart. And so I think the feeling of consistent security and safety is now… I really appreciate that, the maturity of it.”

Anna went on to say that they had immediate chemistry and intimacy, likely due to the fact that both of them are introverts in “a very similar way.” We can’t help but feel happy for Anna Faris and her new husband!

Are Lainey Wilson and her Boyfriend Still Together?

Photo Credits: Lainey Wilson/Instagram and Devlin Hodges/Instagram

Lainey Wilson kept a romantic secret for years. She only went “red carpet official” with her boyfriend, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, at the 2023 ACM Awards. Now, the Internet is wondering if Lainey and Devlin are still together.

Let’s take a deep dive into Lainey and Devlin’s relationship. Most importantly, is he still Lainey’s S.O.?

RELATED: Lainey Wilson Stuns Fans With New Announcement

Almost a year after Lainey made her relationship public, People Magazine wrote “All about Devlin “Duck” Hodges” on April 9, 2024. Hopefully, that means they’re still together!

According to People, Lainey is “head over boots in love” with Devlin. When they went public at the ACMs, it was “one of the night’s most talked-about moments.”

Lainey Kept Devlin a Secret

In June 2023, Lainey dropped some bombshells when she appeared on The Bobby Bones Show. Lainey revealed quite a bit after Bobby started asking why she’d kept her relationship so “private.”

Lainey admitted that Devlin had “been around for a while.” A bit later, she revealed exactly what she meant by “a while.”

She sweetly described Devlin as “good as gold.” She said that he “supports” her and “would never come in between anything” that Lainey is “trying to do.” Then Lainey spilled some tea.

She confessed, “I just decided to make him wait for two and a half years” before she went public with their relationship. Lainey wanted to be sure. She called Devlin a “good dude” who understood what it was like “chasing a dream.”

Devlin used to play football professionally, and Lainey revealed that Devlin chased his own dream when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and LA Rams. People reported that Devlin is now a successful “real estate agent.” 

On July 24th, Taste of Country suggested Lainey’s boyfriend “might have some competition.” Does that mean there’s trouble in paradise?

Thankfully, Taste of Country was joking about “competition.” However, they did reveal that a certain four-year-old boy has a huge crush on Lainey. This is unbelievably cute.

Lainey Has Another Man

Do you watch Today With Hoda & Jenna? On the July 23rd episode, Jenna Bush Hager confessed something about her son, 4-year-old Henry, who’s nickname is “Hal.”

Taste of Country wrote about how this was connected to Lainey and how Henry “just might have developed his own “romance” after he met Lainey during hour three of the Today Show.

Lainey appeared on Today With Hoda & Jenna at the end of June. On July 23rd, Jenna revealed that she’d introduced her 11-year-old daughter, Mila, 8-year-old daughter, Poppy, and little Hal to Lainey.

Jenna told Hoda, “This is something you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it.” She revealed, “I saw it.” Then Jenna spilled the tea.

She joked that “Hal Hager, age 4,” was “acting all smooth and kind of far away from Lainey.” Kind of like a much older guy would do if he wanted to play it cool with a girl he liked.

Shortly after that, Hal whispered a big secret in Mila’s ear. Jenna explained that Hal told his eldest sister that Lainey “asked [him] to be her boyfriend.”

Jenna said that Mila was shocked and asked, “Huh? That singer?”

Hal replied confidently, “Yeah, she asked me. And now, I’m her boyfriend.”

Jenna further explained to the audience that Hal is “4, almost five.”

Mila scolded him and said, “Hal, I think you’re lying.” But Hal didn’t give up. He told his big sister that Lainey “asked” him when he was on stage meeting her.

After Jenna and her husband, Henry, heard about this from Mila, Jenna said they “made fun” of Hal a bit. A couple of weeks later, Jenna heard Hal say he “called” Lainey and “broke up with her.” Then Jenna spoke into the camera, sending out a message to Lainey.

Jenna joked, “So, Lainey, you have an admirer named Hal Hager who created a whole story” about dating her and then calling up and dumping her. Jenna cracked, “We all know it’s false.”

Lainey Was an Overnight Success

In May 2024, Billboard did an interview with Lainey, and she confessed “what’s keeping her grounded” as her star rises in country music. Not surprisingly, Lainey talked a lot about Devlin. But first, she spoke about the real truth of her so-called “overnight” success.

It’s shocking that Lainey spent “10 years of nothing” in Nashville before her first big break in the industry. She told Billboard, “I don’t think you can ever really fully prepare yourself for everything coming at once, and you’re just trying to hold on for dear life.”

Jon Loba is the “president of frontline recordings” for BMG North America, the label that signed Lainey in 2018. He told Billboard that Lainey’s “music was there,” her “personality was there,” and her “performance was there.” Lainey revealed her fun personality when she told Billboard what happened to her the first time she performed in Australia this past March.

Lainey did all the fun, touristy things down under, like holding a koala bear and petting a kangaroo. But she also revealed something unpleasant that happened to her more than once.

She told Billboard, “I got crapped on by a bird twice.” Lainey further explained that she was standing “in the exact same spot” both times it happened.

She said, “I heard it was good fortune, so I was like, ‘Go ahead. Do what you got to do, bird.’”

Devlin Is an Avid Duck Hunter

Speaking of birds, many people want to know how Devlin got his “Duck” nickname, and here’s the real truth. People reported that Devlin got his nickname when he played college football in Alabama. Lainey was their source, and she revealed it all during her interview with Bobby.

Devlin played QB at Samford University. Lainey told Bobby that Devlin’s football coach told him he was “one of the best quarterbacks” ever to play college ball.

Devlin’s coach also said that Devlin reminded him of “one of [his] favorite quarterbacks” from “years ago.” That guy’s nickname was also “Duck.” Lainey told Bobby that the coach and the team “just kind of started calling him Duck.”

But there’s a twist. Devlin is also an “avid duck hunter,” according to People. He actually won the “Junior World Duck Calling Contest” in 2009.

ESPN reported this and wrote that Devlin’s nickname got upgraded when he played pro football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin heard about the “Duck” nickname, ESPN wrote that Mike “added his own spin to the name,” and started calling Devlin “Duck Dynasty.” 

Devlin played in regular-season NFL games in 2019. He later signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League, but he ended up in early retirement and left his pro football career behind in April 2022. 

Lainey made a personal revelation to Billboard about how a country music legend has guided and inspired her to keep some things in her life as private as possible, most of all her relationship with Devlin. The country music legend Billboard was talking about is Dolly Parton, “who has spoken about the importance of keeping some things to yourself when you’re sharing so much else with the world.”

Lainey and Devlin Are on the Same Page

Lainey revealed that she spent time with Dolly in 2023, and the best part was that she met her in person at the iconic theme park, Dollywood. Apparently, Dolly gave Lainey some personal advice during that meeting. But it had nothing to do with Devlin!

Lainey told Billboard that Dolly “dove right in” and asked her a question about someone else in her life. Dolly asked Lainey, “You got a good manager?”

Lainey replied, “Yep.” Shockingly, Dolly wanted to know if Lainey’s manager is “an a-hole?” Dolly seems to think that a tough manager is necessary for country music stars, and if that’s who Lainey has in her corner, that’s what her career needs. 

Lainey told Billboard that when it comes to her and Duck, she knows there will be “some things we can’t escape, and people are going to say and do whatever.” She explained how they’re handling that.

Lainey said that she and Devlin “are on the same page.” They believe, “The less we put out there, the less that we’re going to have to deal with people making anything up and saying anything.”

Lainey added that she and her boyfriend want to keep their relationship “as sacred as we possibly can.” She said, “So far, it has worked for us.”

The Truth About Post Malone’s Ex

Photo Credits: Ashlen Diaz/Instagram and Post Malone/Instagram

Post Malone is an incredibly private guy, but the real, shocking truth about his ex-girlfriend has been exposed. We know that, now, Post is engaged to a woman named Jamie, and they have a two-year-old daughter with the initials DDP. But why and how did his last relationship end?

On June 18, 2024, Yahoo Entertainment republished an article from The Blast with the explosive headline, “Post Malone’s Three-way Legal Drama With Ex And Law Firm Extended By 2 Months.” All those numbers sound confusing, so let’s get to the bottom of this.

RELATED: Why Post Malone Hides His Daughter

The Blast reported that Post “failed to settle with his ex-girlfriend’s previous lawyers.” So, who is she, and why were lawyers involved?

Ashlen Wanted to Be Paid After the Breakup

While The Blast first described Post’s ex as “his former flame,” they soon revealed that her name is Ashlen Diaz. They also dropped a bombshell about the “legal battle” that Post and Ashlen had been “embroiled in.” If you don’t know about this, it’s unbelievable.

Post’s nasty breakup with Ashlen became more twisted when she “sued him” for allegedly mistreating her. Shockingly, The Blast wrote that Ashlen also “wanted to be paid” after she “initially broke up” with Post in 2018.

The Blast confirmed that Post and Ashlen “were never married,” but she still hired a law firm called Martorell Law to represent her in a “palimony suit.” One of the lawyers who represented Ashlen, Eduardo Martorell, made shocking allegations to the media.

Eduardo alleged that Ashlen complained about the mistreatment “she suffered during her relationship” with Post. He also claimed to have “hard and detailed” evidence of the “crimes” Post committed against his ex.

Eduardo said that Ashlen allegedly provided him “with photographs and text messages” from Post that prove his “crimes.” Shockingly, Eduardo also alleged that Post attempted to use his power “to blackball his ex from the industry.”

Post Never Commented on the Relationship

The Blast confirmed that Ashlen’s roots “can reportedly be traced back to Spain.” She’s a “native of Dallas, Texas,” and her birthday is “December 19, 1995.” 

SK Pop by Sportskeeda reported that Post and Ashlen began dating “in 2015.” They learned from sources that Ashlen “reportedly knew [Post] before he got renowned.” In other words, she knew Post before he hit the big time with his “breakthrough track, White Iverson.” 

According to SK Pop, Ashlen was a “music promoter.” She trusted in Post’s “abilities” enough to “book a couple of his nightclub gigs” when he was “struggling early in his career.”

SK Pop wrote that Post kept his relationship “private” with Ashlen “until December 2015.” That’s when Post dropped a bombshell online to wish Ashlen a happy birthday—but that’s all he disclosed.

As SK Pop wrote, Post and Ashlen “never confirmed or commented on the nature of their relationship.” Basically, the only evidence anyone else ever had about Post and Ashlen was that she “was frequently seen around Post during public events.”

Post Lives Like a Rockstar

In November 2018, Us Weekly published an exclusive that Post and Ashlen had broken up “after three years together.” One of their sources claimed to know the real truth.

The source told Us Weekly that Post and Ashlen had ended it within “a month or two” of the report being published. At the time, Ashlen was 22, and Post was 23. But that wasn’t Us Weekly’s only source with inside information.

Two other sources allegedly gave their sides of the story to Us Weekly, and these sources offered different theories.

One source claimed that Ashlen “broke up with” Post. However, the other insider claimed that the “split was mutual,” and Post appeared to be over it because he was “busy recording a new album in Utah.”

Us Weekly’s exclusive on Post’s breakup with his ex did seem to confirm what SK Pop reported: that Ashlen “supported” Post “in the early days of his career.” One of Us Weekly’s sources claimed to have inside knowledge about how Ashlen and Post’s work and personal lives came together.

The source said, “Ashlen booked Post a show in Dallas before he was big.” Shockingly, the source added that Ashlen didn’t know “what she was getting herself into.” Then, they made a shocking allegation about Post.

Although the source claimed back in 2018 that Post “[loved] Ashlen and [cared] about her,” they also dropped the bombshell that Post lived his life like “he’s a rock star. He’s still so young.”

The source also alleged that Ashlen was “pretty upset” about her breakup with Post. They claimed that Ashlen dropped bombshells about her “relationship drama” on Instagram, but the posts had been deleted. 

Ashlen Accused Post Malone of Cheating

Post is notoriously private, but he’s been shockingly candid in some interviews, including an appearance on The Breakfast Club back in 2016. Us Weekly reported that Post dropped a bombshell about how “his career put a strain” on his relationship with his ex.

Post told The Breakfast Club that it was “tough” finding a “balance” between his dedication to his music and “dedicating time to Ashlen.” Post added that he wanted “to do as good music” as he could. That meant he was “real busy” and probably too busy for her.

Us Weekly did report that Post was “spotted cuddling with a mystery woman on a yacht in St. Tropez” after he split up with Ashlen. However, the outlet confirmed that the “PDA was part of a music video shoot.” But was that the real truth?

After their breakup, a thread on the Post Malone subreddit discussed Ashlen confirming a “breakup with Post.” The OP reported that Ashlen alleged Post had “cheated” on her, and she hinted at “the St. Tropez incident.”

One of the first commenters wrote, “Post also finally unfollowed her on Twitter.” Another user posted a screenshot of alleged text messages with Ashlen. The question was, “@ashcash, are you and Post still dating?”

Ashlen’s answer was short but not sweet. Her alleged reply was, “Nope.” When asked if she broke up with Post “because he cheated on you?” Ashlen replied, “What do you think.”

On the subreddit, a user wrote, “Man, I feel sorry for her.” They claimed that Ashlen “moved out to LA” for Post and that the girl he allegedly cheated with looked “exactly like Ashlen.” Still, there was no further proof on the subreddit that the “St. Tropez incident” was for real and not just a video shoot, as Us Weekly reported.

Post Faught Back Against the Lawsuit

So, where does that leave the “three-way” legal drama between Post, Ashlen, and Eduardo’s law firm? That’s where this story gets even more twisted.

According to SK Pop, Post responded to Eduardo’s lawsuit in March 2022. Post alleged there was no “indication of physical assault” against Ashlen, and it was all “speculative, vague, and/or uncertain.” He also threw major shade at Eduardo’s legal tactics.

Post “slammed” the law firm for acting “frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation.” Still, shockingly, SK Pop wrote that Eduardo and his legal team were so convinced that Post was guilty of the allegations that they were expecting “reimbursement from [Post] in the amount of about $800,000.” What exactly went wrong?

The Blast confirmed that Post and Ashlen allegedly settled her palimony suit privately “without giving the law firm that represented her its cut.” That’s why Martorell Law sued Post and Ashlen two years ago, alleging they breached “the conditions of the palimony agreement.”

Eduardo released a lengthy statement calling Post “one of the world’s most powerful celebrities” with a “documented history” of mistreating “his romantic partner” physically and emotionally. Eduardo alleged that Post used “his power and money” to “deprive” Ashlen of “legal representation.”

He also alleged that Post “blatantly” interfered with “a contingency fee” that robbed Eduardo’s law firm from “being paid.” Eduardo added that Post was “[getting] away with it scot-free.”

The Lawsuit Is Still Ongoing

The Blast reported that Ashlen “made off with $350K” from Post in return for dropping her palimony lawsuit. As of June 2024, Martorell Law is still accusing Post “of turning [Ashlen] against it and ensuring she dropped the firm as her legal representative.”

Although Martorell Law sued Post and Ashlen “for breaching the conditions of their palimony agreement in 2022,” The Blast reported that the law firm “informed the court” last year that they “had settled” the lawsuit. But since then, “negotiations” have allegedly fallen apart.

The Blast reported in June that negotiations had “failed… between the parties.” The next hearing between Post’s legal team and Eduardo’s firm was scheduled for August “at the courthouse in Inglewood, California.”

Gypsy Rose and Ryan Update

Photo Cred: Gypsy Rose Instagram

It’s hard to believe Gypsy Rose has been out of prison for less than a year, but managed to appear in numerous TV shows, built a life with her husband Ryan Anderson, filed for divorce with Ryan, got back together with her ex-boyfriend, and finally got pregnant. There is a lot to keep up with, so let’s take a look at the latest news on Gypsy and Ryan’s divorce.

A Brief Timeline

Gypsy Rose went to prison in 2015 for second-degree murder in connection with the death of her mother, Dee Dee. Gypsy was ultimately sentenced to ten years in prison as part of a plea deal.

While in prison, Gypsy befriended a man named Ken Urker through a pen pal program. The two eventually got engaged but broke up after the 2019 release of The Act on Hulu. After the breakup, Gypsy befriended Ryan Anderson, also through a pen pal program. 

Ryan is a special education teacher from Louisiana. He dated and eventually got engaged to Gypsy while she was still in prison. The two married in 2022 in a prison ceremony. 

Gypsy Rose was released from prison on December 28, 2023. After her release, she proceeded to appear on TV shows. Many assumed she and Ryan were living their best life together, but their relationship abruptly ended in March. 

Gypsy left Ryan and went running back to her ex, Ken Urker. Then, in July Gypsy revealed she and Ken were expecting. News of her pregnancy shocked many as she was only out of prison for about six months before rekindling her romance with Ken and getting pregnant. 

What Happened to Gypsy and Ryan

Being married while one partner is in prison is undoubtedly difficult, but it must be even harder when the romance literally starts in prison. Ryan Anderson and Gypsy Rose had what appeared to be a great relationship. Both looked very happy when they were seen in public and often discussed plans for the future. 

Gypsy announced via a social media post in March that she left her husband. Shortly after, it came out that Gypsy was in fact with her ex, Ken Urker. 

Gypsy reportedly left because she was fearful of Ryan after he started showing aggressive tendencies. She never accused him of abuse, but it appears she was fearful enough that she needed to leave the house and permanently separate from Ryan. 

Shortly after the breakup, she was spotted at a festival with her ex. Things obviously moved quickly between the two as she filed for divorce from Ryan around the same time. 

In the divorce papers filed by Gypsy on April 11, she requested spousal support from Ryan. He had already filed for divorce in a different parish (county) days before. It appears she finally conceded the spousal support at the beginning of August and a judge has already signed off on the divorce paperwork. 

Although it looks like things are coming to an end between Gypsy and Ryan, they are not finished yet. Louisiana is a Community Property state so each must submit to the divorce court a list of property they believe each are entitled to by the end of August.

After that, Ryan will still have to take a paternity test to prove that Gypsy’s baby is not his. Louisiana law assumes paternity if a couple is married or divorced less than 300 days at the time of birth.

Are Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Secretly Engaged?

Photo credit: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce/Instagram

It’s been almost a year since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift went public and accordingly, there’s romantic speculation and rumors of an engagement flying. So, what could be more of a fairy tale happy ever after than a superstar pop icon and an NFL hero finally deciding to tie the knot? How about a secret engagement?

How Will Travis And Taylor Celebrate Their One-Year Anniversary? 

It was 2003 when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced they were an item to the watching world. Thanks to the media’s unwavering commitment, we’ve been glued to seats ever since. But, sources close to the couple can’t seem to hold their excitement, either, even though they say the engagement will happen soon.

Since the Swifties and the Chiefs Kingdom are getting ready to celebrate their idols’ one-year anniversary anyway, it would be an auspicious time to make the announcement. However, it’s also a great time to kick off another Kelce/Swift rumor, which according to Kelce’s rep, is all this is. Bear in mind, some fans have taken speculation one step further, by declaring the couple must already be secretly engaged. 

It’s all unverified, so probably not true but then, there’s what some chief exec’s wife overheard, saying…

Travis Kelce Was Engagement Ring Shopping

This particular kitty was let out of the bag in a suite at the Morgan Wallen concert in Kansas City on Thursday. Usually, the source of gossip isn’t so specific and so, the mystery deepens. But there is more evidence.

In December 2023, according to Page Six, Kelce was out and about engagement ring hunting. It had to be perfect. Sources around at the time also claimed Kelce had visited Scott Swift, Taylor’s father, to formally ask for her hand, which was given, wholeheartedly.

Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift’s Undeniable Love

Swift is still out on her Eras tour, despite unexpected cancellations and a short break in August. Kelce has supported her through multiple performances, even joining the cast for a brief cameo for the London show in June. There’s little doubt the pair wanted to be with one another.

A close source told People magazine that they were very serious. They have fun. Friends can see they are very alike and good together even if, at first, everyone was wondering what they had in common.

Kelce’s left no-one in any doubt about how deeply he feels for Taylor. Both say they’ve never felt anything like this before, but it’s clear Kelce is bursting with love for his Taylor. On a Bussin’ with the Boys podcast in June 2024, he candidly described how he fell in love with her. What caught him was how genuine Taylor was with her family and friends. His love and admiration were obvious as he talked about how he valued her support. He called her his lady, now that’s romantic.

Fans are waiting for the news. And although the pair are very busy, an engagement announcement on a first anniversary, when you’re on a vacation, is just perfect timing. However, the secret engagement idea carries some weight, and eight months is a very long time for any eager young man to walk around with the perfect engagement ring in his pocket.

The Tragedy of Nelly’s Mom Rhonda

Photo credits: Nini.truly.nyelle44/TikTok and Nelly/Instagram

Being the mother of a successful rapper comes with some pretty big perks.

According to Hot New Hip Hop, Nelly reportedly has a net worth of $70 million dollars in 2024.

Which means his mom Rhonda Mack can safely say that she’s financially comfortable these days.

But it hasn’t always been like that for her. 

Nelly Speaks Out About Challenging Times As A Child 

Nelly recently opened up about how challenging things were for his mom before he made it big. 

She went through some unbelievably difficult moments. Both in her personal life and her professional life.

In the season 7 premiere of The Shop, Nelly spoke up about how he got to be so good with money.

And he credited his mother, saying that it was her hard labor that inspired him to hustle and learn how to make, save and invest money.

He revealed that his mom was a single parent, who had to work incredibly hard to pay the bills and put food on the table.

She reportedly worked in the fast food industry for 35 to 40 years, and Nelly pointed out that anyone who’d worked in a fast food franchise would know how hard that was.

He said that it was constant, and that it could be very taxing. 

In an interview he had with Access Hollywood, Nelly explained that she’d sometimes need to work two jobs at once even. 

Nelly Attributes His Mom, Rhonda, For Work Ethic And Financial Literacy

Nelly remembered a time when he wanted to go to his high school’s homecoming but Rhonda only had $50 dollars to give him for it. 

But she offered to get him a job working at a food truck so that he could make some extra cash for himself. He was just fourteen at the time.

He told the co-hosts of The Shop that he ended up making $140 dollars by the time Homecoming came around, which was a lot of money to him back then.

Nelly later ended up with a job working the grill at a McDonald’s in St. Louis, Missouri and was there all throughout his high school years.

Although he wasn’t destined to stay in the food industry, he confessed that it was his mom that give a strong work ethic.

Afrotech reported that in 1993, he formed the rap group St. Lunatics with 5 other members and they started to have success.

Just over six years later Nelly became a household name when he released his hit album, Country Grammar, which ended up getting to number 1 on the Billboard 200.

How Nelly Showed His Mom Gratitude 

And he decided to show his mom his gratitude for her having worked so hard to raise him by doing a grand gesture.

In his Access Hollywood interview, the rapper talked about how he decided to surprise his mom at her place of work one day. 

Rhonda was working a shift at Rally’s when her son pulled up to the drive-thru window, rolled down the window and told her that she should quit and come with him.

He said: “the best memory that I had was being able to pull up to her job and tell her she doesn’t have to work there anymore.”

He shared that it felt very rewarding to be able to do that for her after everything she’d done for him over the years.

Nelly’s Mom, Rhonda Mack, Speaks Out 

A couple years after her son had risen to stardom, Rhonda sat down with the Baltimore Sun to talk about how much her life had changed since Country Grammar came out.

One of the tracks off the album, Luven Me, had a verse that was about her.

The proud mother said that one of her favorite lines from it was: ‘You don’t have to work no more.’

She confessed that the song had made her cry when she first heard it.

Looking back at her life before Nelly became famous, Rhonda told the outlet that she had to do what she had to do to support him.

Throughout Nelly’s entire life, she said that she worked two jobs to support him, sometimes three.

She admitted that she couldn’t call him Nelly, she’d gotten used to calling him ‘Man’, because he was the man of the house. 

Rhonda Had Different Dreams For Nelly

According to her, Nelly was a handful as a child, but she didn’t expect him to be any other way.

Rhonda noticed her son’s musical talents when he was little, but she didn’t encourage them as much as she did his sporting abilities. 

She reportedly had dreams of him being a professional baseball player. 

But when Nelly quit his job with UPS to pursue his budding rap career, she was supportive.

She said: “I knew he had it in him. He worked hard to get there and he had to make sacrifices to get there.”

Rhonda admitted that his success came with a lot of changes, both good and bad.

She didn’t appreciate the public attention her family had begun to get, and she especially didn’t appreciate the tabloids that came knocking at her door.

Why Nelly’s Mom Wanted To Work Again 

Ironically, Nelly’s big gesture of showing up at her workplace and having her retire early might not have been exactly what his mother had wanted. 

Rhonda told the Baltimore Sun that she had plans to go back to work. 

She’d been working at her son’s 4Sho4Kids foundation, helping disadvantaged youth, but she wanted a regular job again. 

She shared that she appreciated everything Nelly had done for her, and that she’d been really blessed. 

But she was at the point where she felt she was losing her independence. She added that she loved fast food, and that she could stock shelves.

Of course, this time things would be very different from how they were when Nelly was younger.

Back then she had to work because she had to, because she was a single parent.

Nelly Speaks Candidly About Father, Cornell Haynes Sr.

But what happened to Nelly’s father, Cornell Haynes Sr. ?

He reportedly didn’t give his family an easy time when Nelly was growing up. 

Contact Music revealed that during an interview on VH1’s Behind The Music, the rapper got candid about what being under his father’s roof was like as a little kid.

He claimed that his father led by fear. So, he did what his father said because he was scared of being harmed by him. 

He shared that Cornell’s voice rang so vividly in his head that it was just a fear for him.

Eventually, his mom asked for a divorce, and Nelly’s parents separated when he was just 7-years-old. 

Which was how he ended up in St. Louis. Rhonda moved him there so that they could start over. They lost touch with Cornell, and he faded from the picture.

The Tragedy Of Nelly’s Sister, Jackie Donahue

Nelly’s mom was left to raise him and his half-sister, Jackie Donahue, who Cornell had from a previous relationship and then abandoned with Rhonda, per Contact Music.

Tragedy struck the family in 2001 when Jackie was diagnosed with Leukemia. 

A report by Today explained that the cancer was in remission for almost 2 years, but she then suffered a relapse and the illness claimed her life in 2005.

It’s unclear how close she and Nelly’s mom were, because even though one article claimed that Rhonda helped raise her, most articles talk about her biological mom.

According to PEOPLE, also, Nicki Swift reported on how Jackie’s mother Sarah Donuhue was with her daughter until her final days. 

And in an interview on the Tamron Hall Show, Nelly talked about how he adopted her two children after she passed, and credited Sarah for her help raising them.

So, it’s difficult to say what kind of relationship Jackie had with his mother, but if she was a big part of her life, it would’ve been a true hardship for Rhonda.

Nelly And His Father Rekindled Their Relationship

As for Jackie and Nelly’s father, it wasn’t until Nelly was a successful adult that he and Cornell formed some kind of a relationship again.

According to Contact Music, Nelly let him back into his life in the early 2010s after he allegedly admitted to him that he messed Nelly up because of bad parenting. 

Around that time, Nelly revealed that he was being a way better grandfather to his kids than he ever was as a father to him.

But their rekindled relationship didn’t last for too long. 

Nelly Dissed His Father On Social Media 

And things got sour pretty fast. Nelly’s normally a private person, but he went public with how disappointed he was with his dad in 2018.

The Daily Mail reported that the rapper turned on Cornell and began posting tweets about him.

He wrote: “The word father is a strong word … something I never knew anything about as a child because mine never did what he had to do, only what he wanted.”

Nelly added that he hoped what he did was worth it because he was done with him, and he announced that he wasn’t going to give him any more money. 

He then praised Rhonda by saying that she always had a job, she taught him how to play sports, she came to his games, and she saw him graduate. 

While nobody could pinpoint exactly what his dad did to upset him that much, there was some speculation that it had something to do with his then ex-girlfriend, Ashanti. 

Days earlier, his father was seen in a selfie with her that she posted on her Snapchat account while at her concert in St. Louis.

In his Twitter rant, Nelly finished by saying that he was Mama’s boy, and that he loved her.

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