"Sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans"—Ashanti says she is engaged to Nelly following pregnancy announcement

After announcing her pregnancy on Wednesday, April 17, through an Instagram post, Ashanti also made the big announcement about being engaged to her partner, Nelly.

While talking to Essence, the singer stated—

“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.”

Ashanti made the pregnancy announcement through a video on Instagram, which was captioned as “baby baby baby baby…” The video featured the singer getting ready to perform, just when Tina Douglas asks Ashanti how much time she needs until she’s ready for her performance. To this, the singer responded by saying—

“I’m going to need about nine months.”

While the singer did not reveal much about her engagement to Nelly, however, the video was also reposted by Nelly on his Instagram account. While this baby will be the singer’s first, however, Nelly will become a dad for the fifth time, as the rapper is already father to Chanelle, 29 years, and Cornell Haynes III, 24 years, and he has also adopted the kids of his late sister, Shawn and Sydney Thomas.

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Nelly and Ashanti's relationship explored

Nelly and Ashanti have known each other for more than two decades, as the duo dated off and on until they parted ways in 2013. However, the couple rekindled their relationship last year in April, and Nelly announced their relationship once again.

While talking to Love and Hip Hop in September 2023, the rapper announced—

"It wasn't anything that I don't think was planned. I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more. You be like, 'Yo, let me see exactly what they see.' You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we are wrong but we going to stand on it. But we are all a victim to that."

The couple first met in January 2003, at a press conference for the Grammy Awards nominations announcement. The duo clicked instantly and were often seen together partying, enjoying dinners, and even holidaying. As per ET, the duo kept denying their relationship for 2 years, until Ashanti made it official in 2005, during her 25th birthday celebration.

Thereafter, the couple released their first collaboration, Switch, in 2007, which became extremely popular amongst the masses. In 2008, Ashanti announced during her performance at the Los Angeles Lakers Game that she had been dating Nelly for the last 5 years.

However, the following year, in 2009, many publications including The New York Daily News announced that the couple had broken up, and was no longer together. However, in December 2009, the duo shocked the masses as Ashanti was seen in Nelly’s music video. In 2010, Nelly cleared the air and stated that the duo are just “friends,” as he spoke to Complex, and said—

"We never admitted that we were together or back together or separated, but we heard that. The only thing we ever said was we were friends and it's the same way now."

However, the couple was seen off and on together in 2011, and 2012, until they formally announced their breakup in 2013. Furthermore, in September 2021, Ashanti shocked her fans and followers after several pictures floated of her with the rapper as the two reunited to perform with Ja Rule and Fat Joe during their Verzuz battle.

In December 2022, the rapper and the singer also performed their 2008 hit Body on Me at the Under the Mistletoe concert in Arizona. In 2023, the couple ultimately accepted their relationship and announced that they had reunited.

While the couple has not shared more details about the wedding date or pregnancy, the fans are over the roof as they shower congratulatory messages on Nelly and Ashanti.