Nelly and Ashanti were old sweethearts back in the early 2000s, but then their lives went in separate directions and they broke up about ten years ago.
Much like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Nelly and Ashanti sparked dating rumors in 2023, and a year later, they announced that they were pregnant and getting married.
Fans who loved the couple together back in the day are thrilled to know their favorite stars are back together.
Was Nelly And Ashanti’s Reunion A Setup?
But how did they end up finding their way back to each other after all these years?
It all started at the Verzuz event in 2021 when Ja Rule battled against Fat Joe.
Ashanti was there, and to her surprise, so was Nelly.
No one had told her that Nelly was coming.
The reason Joe gave to her was that he didn’t want her to not come if she found out that Nelly was going to be there.
By this point in time, Nelly and Ashanti had been broken up for around six years.
They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other during that whole time.
Nelly Shocked Ashanti Then Hugged Her
So, suddenly seeing Nelly was quite a shock to her.
Then, Nelly did something that shocked her even more.
He went in for a hug.
Some people thought he had whispered something in her ear, but she said that hadn’t been the case.
She was so shocked by the hug because, once more, they had zero contact during those six years.
The hug, however, was a positive one.
Ashanti did say that the reunion was a little awkward, though, just because she was so surprised by it.
Naturally, people asked if she and Nelly were going to start dating again, but she said no.
Nelly and Ashanti’s Surprise Performance
Then, in 2023, the dating rumors really took off when Ashanti brought Nelly out for a surprise performance at her Las Vegas residency show.
According to TMZ, the audience went wild when Ashanti and Nelly started performing Body On Me together.
It’s originally Nelly’s song, which he performed with Ashanti and Akon back in the day.
Although the two performing together was one thing to make people talk, it was really the dancing that got everyone thinking that they were back together.
Ashanti was grinding against Nelly and definitely making it seem like they were close again.
Nelly And Ashanti’s Public Outings
Around this time, Ashanti and Nelly were also attending events together.
They were seen holding hands while watching a boxing match, for example.
They also attended certain red carpet events together.
The two remained quiet about whether they were dating again, though.
They were also seen at a nightclub in New York City, but they weren’t kissing or being publicly affectionate together.
Instead, they just seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.
When asked about the big performance and whether she was dating Nelly, Ashanti said that they were cool.
They had some great conversations, and things were cool between them again.
However, she refused to say whether they were dating.
Nelly Confirmed Dating Rumors
It was only in September 2023 that Nelly finally confirmed the dating rumors.
During an episode of Boss Moves with Rasheeda on Philo TV, Rasheeda went right into it and asked if he and Ashanti were together.
Nelly laughed at first, joking that she went right for it without giving him time to warm up.
He confirmed the dating rumors, saying that they were cool again, but it was a shock to them both.
According to Nelly, neither he nor Ashanti had planned on getting back together.
It just sort of happened naturally.
Now, Nelly did say that part of the reason they likely got back together was because enough time had passed between them.
Since they had a lot of distance from their past relationship, they were able to have a lot of time to think about it and the other person and end up understanding that other person better.
Biggest Reason Nelly And Ashanti Broke Up
Nelly also said that one of the biggest reasons why they broke up in the first place was because of their careers.
They were both early into their careers and they were working hard to maintain success.
Now, they were at a point in their careers where they could relax more and spend some of their energy on other things–like relationships.
How Nelly Feels About Marriage
Nelly was also asked about how he felt about marriage during the episode.
He said that he had never been married before and that was because he was the sort of person who took commitment seriously.
He said that when he passes away, he wants to do so as a married man, not as someone who was married.
Nelly explained that when he says his vows, he takes that seriously, and that’s the kind of commitment he wants in his relationship.
If he’s going to marry someone, then he wants to stay married to that person until he passes away.
So, he has been holding out for a long time to find the right person who he believes is someone he could grow old with.
Ashanti’s Pregnancy Rumors
Big news once more hit Nelly and Ashanti fans when they revealed in December 2023 that Ashanti was pregnant.
According to US Weekly, the first time there was speculation about if she was pregnant was during Nelly’s Black and White Ball in St. Louis.
Since they were together by that point, Ashanti was there to party with her partner.
During the event, Ashanti put her hand on her belly, and Nelly put his hand over hers.
They laughed together, and the crowd who saw the moment all felt that it was their way of announcing that Ashanti was pregnant.
Ashanti Confirms Pregnancy Rumors
That was later confirmed when Ashanti and Essence released a video to confirm the rumors that she was expecting.
During the video, Ashanti was preparing for a performance and her team kept checking in to see if she was ready.
When she was asked how long it was going to take for her to be ready, Ashanti said she was going to need about nine months.
Nelly And Ashanti’s Partnership With Proov
Ashanti and Nelly also revealed that they had partnered with a company called Proov.
The company makes home tests that couples can use to help better their chances of achieving conception.
The goal of Proov is to make it easier to have children without it becoming too expensive.
The baby was huge news for Ashanti as it will be her first child.
Nelly’s Kids
Nelly already has a few children of his own.
He has a daughter named Chanelle and a son named Cornell Jr., who he shares with his ex, Channetta Valentine.
Nelly also adopted the children of his sister after she passed away from cancer.
So, his baby with Ashanti will be his fifth child.
Motherhood Is A Dream Come True For Ashanti
According to Entertainment Tonight, Ashanti was shocked, happy, and emotional when she found out she was pregnant.
Being a mother was something she always dreamed about.
It was something she wanted so badly, and she felt that the timing was perfect.
She would later go on to have a maternity shoot celebrating her pregnancy, and she chose to have the setting on a beach.
Ashanti said that having the shoot out in nature and sunshine was perfect because they made her smile.
Being out in nature and under the sun is what makes her genuinely happy.
When Ashanti Suspected She Was Pregnant
Ashanti also shared that she suspected she was pregnant after she missed her period after the Black and White Ball.
So, when fans speculated that Nelly and Ashanti were hinting that they were pregnant, they actually didn’t know by that point.
Ashanti was just trying to fix her clothes, but Nelly wanted to tease the crowd, so he put his hand there, too, to make something out of nothing.
How Ashanti Revealed She Was Pregnant To Nelly
When Ashanti found out she was pregnant, she wasted no time in telling Nelly.
She FaceTimed and told him, and he said that he already knew.
She said he was smiling, and they were both happy about it.
The pregnancy has also been an easy one.
Ashanti said she felt blessed because she hasn’t suffered from any typical symptoms of pregnancy yet.
Since it’s been so easy, she’s been able to keep performing.
When Nelly And Ashanti Secretly Got Married
Now, Nelly and Ashanti are notoriously private.
While they announced they were engaged back in April 2024, they were actually already married by then.
Marriage records showed that Ashanti and Nelly got married back on December 27, 2023, in St. Louis, where Nelly is from.
Perhaps the couple wanted to have a private ceremony all to themselves and then a more public one for everyone else.
Either way, even though they broke up for some time, a surprise run-in allowed them to have another chance at love again.
This time, it seems to be going very well for them.
