Heavy/ABC Nelly and Ashanti got married.
Surprise! Season 29 “Dancing With the Stars” alum, Nelly, is a married man. He tied the knot with Ashanti in December 2023. The couple chose not to tell anyone the news until recently.
In a June 2024 interview with ET, Ashanti said that Nelly proposed to her at home in what she described as a “beautiful, intimate moment.” She said that she was dressed casually, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of the rapper’s underwear when he popped the question.
Nelly and Ashanti’s relationship spans decades. The duo first started dating in the early 2000s but ended their romance in 2013. Ten years later, they got back together — and they haven’t looked back since.
Ashanti Is Pregnant With Her First Child
Aside from being newlyweds, Nelly and Ashanti have something else to celebrate; the couple is expecting. After much speculation, Ashanti confirmed that she is pregnant in an interview with Essence that was published in April.
This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation. 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,” she told the outlet.
On Mother’s Day, Ashanti shared a photo of her baby bump on Instagram.
“This Mother’s Day was so special… having our families together as we are about to embark on such an incredible journey was amazing. Wishing all of the amazing Moms and Moms to be a beautiful Mother’s Day/ Pre Mothers Day!!!!! #grateful. Yeah, yeah I know I’m late… it was so much food I got distracted. Ps… I only had 1 plate tho,” she captioned the post.
This will be the first child for Nelly and Ashanti. He is a dad to five kids; he has two children from a previous relationship and also adopted his sister’s two children following her 2005 death, per People magazine.
Ashanti Says Her Relationship With Nelly Is Different This Time
The mom-to-be seems really happy with the way things worked out for her and her husband.
“Never in a million years did I think we would be here. Ten years ago — maybe yes — but after our breakup, you know, I didn’t even think we’d ever have a conversation again,” she told ET.
“I guess when you go through a breakup, for me personally, I kind of just shut that person out… It’s kinda like, OK, that chapter is closed and you just move on, you know, and there’s nothing there,” she added.
Both Nelly and Ashanti seem dedicated to making things work and have really grown individually, making them a bit better suited for one another.
“Now it’s kind of like, ‘All right, you good?’ You know, give me a kiss goodbye and it’s over… It’s not like holding on and bickering and we find out what the resolution is. We apologize… It used to take me a little longer to apologize,” she explained.
“I think just we both are so passionate about working and about building family. We are so, so aligned,” she added.
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