People have questioned the truth behind Ashanti and Ja Rule’s relationship for decades.

A couple of years ago, the artists started speaking up about it at long last.

Ashanti Set The Record Straight 

During an Instagram Live chat with Fat Joe, Ashanti finally got the chance to set the record straight.

Her many hit songs in collaboration with Ja Rule led everyone to believe for a long time that they were secretly in a romantic relationship.

But we only really got an answer to this theory in 2020. 

When Fat Joe raised the topic with Ashanti, she was quick to shut down the rumors, insisting that she had never dated Ja Rule.

Ashanti Sees Ja Rule As A Brother 

She instead claimed that she actually saw him as a brother.

In a separate interview, she doubled down on her statement.

She said that from day one, it had never been that way between them.

She said that from the first time they met, she saw him as a brother – and he saw her as a sister.

Ashanti’s Theory 

So, why did so many people have a different idea? 

In his conversation with Ashanti, Fat Joe suggested that the sheer number of huge smash hits the pair released might’ve led people to believe they were dating.

However, Ashanti offered a different theory.

She talked about how amazing her onstage chemistry has always been with the rapper. 

Even when they went months without even seeing each other, it was no different between them. 

They could immediately jump back onstage and perform together. 

And it would look like they had been together the whole day.

They were apparently so in sync with each other that Ashanti claimed that they would sometimes turn up in what looked like coordinated outfits. 

Ashanti admitted to Fat Joe that she understood how crazy it was to have that kind of chemistry, especially with someone she was not in a relationship with.

However, she maintained that they never messed with each other, and that the idea was never a real thing. 

Ja Rule and Ashanti’s Music Relationship

And a few years ago, nearly two decades after they first took over the charts together, Ashanti spoke about working with Ja Rule again.

In 2019, she said that they would work on new music after doing some shows together. 

But as of now, the project is yet to see the light of day – even though this could be just what their label might need to reclaim their place at the summit of pop music. 

These days, the label that made both artists’ careers has all but disappeared.

But back when Ashanti and Ja Rule were releasing singles together, things were very different. 

Their success was a major part of the label becoming the number one force in the charts in the early 2000s. 

But the later decline would see relationships fail between the label and its artists, including Ashanti.

She has since gone on record in an interview in which she said that she was on good terms with the label again.

So, people thought that this could be the perfect time for two of the label’s most successful artists to release a joint project.

But another interview made it seem like this might not happen.

The drama all started when the co-founder of the label, Irv Gotti, went on the Drink Champs podcast. 

Ashanti and Irv Gotti’s Alleged Affair

And what he ended up talking about was unexpected. 

He claimed to have had a relationship with Ashanti 20 years ago.

What’s more, he was actually married to his first wife, Debbie Lorenzo, at the time of the alleged affair. 

And he went on to admit that Ashanti was also in a relationship at the time, with Nelly.

He even said that he and Ashanti were together every day that she wasn’t with Nelly.

Is Irv Gotti Salty?

And he claimed that he actually came up with Ashanti’s 2002 hit song Happy after they shared an intimate evening together. 

Irv went on to discuss what their relationship was like these days.

And he said that they didn’t see eye to eye anymore. 

He also made it very clear that he was still not over her leaving his label.

He explained that he believed that he was the one who essentially gave her her career. 

So, for her to then turn around and say that she didn’t want to do this anymore was something he just couldn’t respect.

Ashanti Shut Down Irv About Their Relationship 

Immediately after Irv shared these revelations, Ashanti came out with a very different story. 

In conversation with Angie Martinez on her IRL podcast, she quickly shut down any talk of Irv ever being her boyfriend.

She repeatedly stated that was never the case. 

And that he just flat out lied about so many things.

And while she maintained that she’s not in a place where she feels like she needs to play in the mud or expose anyone else, she still felt the need to defend herself.

She said that Irv had several girlfriends while separating from Debbie, but she was never one of them. 

She went on to say that Irv was salty when he found out about her dating Nelly. 

Did Irv Gotti Try To Block Ashanti’s Career?

And then she went on to make some HUGE claims of her own. 

She said that Irv reacted to the news about her and Nelly by attempting to block her career from progressing. 

And allegedly, he actually told people not to record with her and stopped her from coming to the studio.

If this was the case, it’s really no wonder that Ashanti wanted to leave his label.

Irv Gotti’s Bold Claims Caused Ruckus

Naturally, Irv’s claims on Drink Champs caused a big stir. 

But what really made them catch light in the hip hop world was the other guest on the podcast.

Because sitting right next to Irv the whole time was Ja Rule.

Which brought the reaction to a whole other level.

Throughout Irv’s conversation, Ja Rule stayed pretty quiet.

Ashanti and Others Felt Ja Rule Should Have Done More 

And he claimed not to have known that any of this was going on.

However, he did call Irv out at one point when he referred to Ashanti with a disrespectful expletive. 

Which is understandable, considering the close friendship he has with her.

But a lot of people felt that Ja Rule should have done a lot more. 

And one of those people was Ashanti herself.

On the IRL podcast, she told Angie that she spoke to Ja Rule afterward.

While she was grateful that he had defended her, she also told him that she felt he hadn’t defended her enough.

Fat Joe Called Out Irv and Ja Rule 

Someone else who thought so was Fat Joe. 

He took to Instagram Live to say that Irv had been disrespectful in his ranting about Ashanti.

And then he went on to say that whatever happened was done 20 years ago, and this just made Irv look like he wasn’t over her.

But Fat Joe didn’t just call out Irv. 

He also slammed Ja Rule for failing to defend Ashanti. 

Ja Rule has since responded by insisting that he did stick up for her. 

And later, he took to Instagram to make it clear that he did not condone what Irv did on the podcast.

And he hoped that people understood how uncomfortable it felt to be put in the position he was put in. 

Ja Rule Supports Ashanti and Her Relationship With Nelly

Despite everything that happened between them, things seem to be all good between Ja Rule and Ashanti these days. 

Since her secret marriage to Nelly hit the headlines, her famous collaborator has made it clear how he feels about her current relationship.

During an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, he was asked if Nelly and Ashanti’s reunion had surprised him. 

However, the rapper made it clear that this wasn’t the case.

He also revealed the close friendship between Ashanti and his own wife. 

He said that their conversations had given him a hint about what was going on between her and Nelly.

So it looks like Ashanti and Ja Rule are as close as ever, even if they are no longer taking the charts by storm together.