The bond between Ja Rule and Ashanti runs deep to this day.
Ja Rule Wasn’t Surprised When Ashanti And Nelly Got Back Together
Along with their mutual friend Fat Joe, Ja Rule opened up about how he felt about the big news about Ashanti reuniting with Nelly after so many years apart.
During an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, he gave his take on the superstar pair starting up their romance again.
And what he said was probably pretty unexpected for those who knew about Ja Rule and Ashanti’s history.
He told Tamron that he wasn’t really surprised that the couple had gotten back together.
Ja Rule Knew Ashanti Wanted Nelly Back
He went on to suggest that he just knew something was up from the way Ashanti and Ja Rule’s wife had been talking for a while.
He said that he knew that he could tell that Ashanti wanted Nelly back, who he referred to as “that old thing.”
However, he made it clear that he wasn’t trying to make fun of them, and acknowledged the amazing chemistry the pair still obviously had when they were finally united again.
And Ja Rule should know, as he was actually there for the viral moment when Nelly walked up to Ashanti almost a decade after their split.
When Fat Joe and Ja Rule faced off on the Comedy Central show Verzuz Battle, both Nelly and Ashanti were there, too.
Nelly and Ashanti’s Renewed Relationship
Nelly walked across the stage and gave Ashanti a hug in their first reunion since their breakup.
After that, Nelly and Ashanti’s renewed relationship developed really fast.
The following year, Ashanti confessed that they were in a much better place during an interview.
Soon after that, they were spotted out and about together on several different occasions.
And it wasn’t long before they went public with their relationship, saying that they had finally gotten back together.
Nelly talked about their relationship on Philo TV’s Boss Moves.
And he said that they were both actually surprised by the fact that they had become part of each other’s lives again.
They supposedly both agreed that going their separate ways all those years ago actually helped them understand each other more.
And although they have both grown older and wiser, it looks like they are having more fun than ever.
Ja Rule’s Verzuz Battle Upstaged By Ashanti And Nelly
Ja Rule explained to Tamron what he saw that fateful day when his Verzuz battle was upstaged by the happy couple.
He said that he thought the two missed each other, and that “the way they clicked just came back so fast.”
It sounds like Ja Rule felt that it was like they had never even broken up at all.
Ashanti’s Feelings For Nelly Resurfaced
Ashanti opened up recently about how surprising it was even for her to realize those feelings were still there when she saw Nelly again.
She said that after breaking up, her instinct was to try and shut the other person out to make it easier to close that chapter of her life.
But after reuniting, Ashanti admitted that she had to be real with herself and confront whether or not she still had feelings for Nelly.
And the truth, she realized, was that she did.
Fat Joe Is Happy for Nelly And Ashanti
For his part, Fat Joe was clearly delighted that the couple were back together, and even more delighted about it happening during his Verzuz Battle.
He even joked online about being the one responsible for bringing them back to each other.
After rumors started swirling about Ashanti being pregnant, Fat Joe quipped, “I immediately tell them I need 10 percent of this kid.”
He went on to say that if it wasn’t for him bringing Nelly out during the show, they would not have connected again.
He added that it was at the moment Nelly saw Ashanti across the stage behind Ja Rule that he said “I gotta have her.”
Did Fat Joe Know Ashanti Was Pregnant Beforehand?
But although Fat Joe might consider himself the puppetmaster in the relationship of his two friends, there was certainly something going on that he didn’t know.
After jokingly demanding ten percent after hearing the baby gossip, Fat Joe went on to say that it was “just a rumor” that Ashanti was pregnant.
While Ashanti has had her fair share of rumors made up about her, the talk of her having a baby has turned out to be 100% legit.
Recently, she shared a couple of photos on her Instagram, seemingly to celebrate her pregnancy.
The photos showed her lying on a beach in a gold bikini.
In the caption, she wrote that the fact that she was about to become a mother was “the greatest feeling ever.”
Nelly and Ashanti had previously announced both that they were expecting and that they were engaged in April of this year.
Ashanti And Nelly Privately Tied The Knot
But there was something else going on that no fans, or even Ja Rule or Fat Joe, knew about.
The couple had already taken the final step and tied the knot in private.
Public records show that they got married on December 27, 2023.
Since then, they have been fooling everyone with a complicated ruse to keep us all guessing.
How Did Nelly Propose To Ashanti?
In April, they announced that they were getting engaged.
Ashanti told Entertainment Tonight about the super casual way in which Nelly proposed to her.
According to Ashanti, it was a really beautiful, intimate moment.
They were not at all dressed-up.
Apparently, they were both lying in bed in their pajamas watching TV when Nelly popped the question.
The singer then shared her reaction.
She apparently cried.
Then, she gave Nelly a big hug and kiss.
And after that, she decided to FaceTime everyone to let them know that she was engaged.
She went on to say that she was overjoyed, surprised, and happy all at the same time.
Nelly And Ashanti’s Future Ceremony
Although it’s now been reported that they’re already married, it seems like Nelly and Ashanti are still planning to have a big formal ceremony at some point in the future.
Ashanti confirmed that their baby will be born before their wedding.
Neither Ja Rule nor Fat Joe have yet commented on the bombshell news of their friends’ secret marriage.
However, it’s possible that they were two of the few the couple trusted enough to share their secret with.
Ja Rule And Ashanti’s Close Friendship
Their friendships go back decades, with Ja Rule being one of Ashanti’s biggest champions back when they were first making hits together.
Ja Rule revealed to Tamron Hall just how much he fought for his so-called sister when trying to put songs together.
He said that label executive Irv Gotti had suggested some big names to jump on Ja Rule’s track Always on Time, including Beyonce and Alicia Keys.
However, Ja Rule was adamant that they had the right singer for the job right there in the studio with them.
Did Ja Rule And Ashanti Date?
Unsurprisingly, there have been frequent rumors about a relationship between Ja Rule and Ashanti over the years.
Ashanti has been quick to shut down the rumors, insisting that she never dated Ja.
She apparently actually sees him as a brother.
In an old interview with Entertainment Tonight, she doubled down on this.
The singer said that from day one, it was never 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.
Will Ja Rule And Ashanti Make Another Album Together?
For years, fans have been desperate for Ashanti and Ja Rule to make an album together.
Nearly two decades after they first took over the charts together, Ashanti spoke about working with Ja Rule again.
In 2019, she told People magazine 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.
And it now looks further away than ever.
With the newly married Ashanti expecting her first kid, making music with Ja Rule is probably the last thing on her mind right now.
