R&B star Ashanti and rapper Nelly are engaged and expecting their first child together.
The couple, who reignited their relationship last year, confirmed the news in a sponsored post shared on Instagram on Wednesday, accompanied by the caption “Baby baby baby baby,” a playful nod to Ashanti’s 2002 hit song.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” she told Essence. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”
At 43, Ashanti is preparing for motherhood for the first time, while Nelly, 49, already has two children from a previous relationship, including a daughter named Chanelle, 29, and a son named Cornell Haynes III, 24, from his past with Channetta Valentine.
Speculation about Ashanti’s pregnancy initially arose during one of Nelly’s Black and White Ball events in St. Louis last year. Observers caught a tender moment between the couple as Ashanti gently placed her hand on her stomach while on stage, a gesture reciprocated by Nelly.
The history between Ashanti and Nelly stretches back to their initial on-and-off relationship, which spanned from 2003 to 2013, sparked by their chance encounter during a Grammy Awards press conference.
Last year, rumours of their rekindled romance surfaced when they were spotted holding hands at a boxing match in Las Vegas. Nelly officially confirmed their renewed relationship during an episode of Philo TV’s Boss Moves with Rasheeda in September, expressing that their reunion came as a surprise and wasn’t pre-planned.
Despite a decade apart, Ashanti reportedly did not expect to reignite the flame with Nelly. The couple made their Instagram debut in October, delighting fans with their public acknowledgment of their relationship.
Their love story, which began in 2003, saw its fair share of on-and-off phases before a decade-long hiatus in 2013. Nelly later dated influencer Shantel Jackson, Floyd Mayweather’s ex-fiancée, for seven years before their split in 2021
