Ashanti and Nelly find their way back to each other in 2023 after a series of ups and downs.
The two sparked romance speculation in early 2003 after hooking up at the Grammys. Although they played coy about their status for years, Ashanti confirmed in March 2015 that they were a couple until 2013.
After a decade, Ashanti and Nelly rekindled their romance in early 2023. “A few years ago, Ashanti never imagined getting along with Nelly, but they love spending time together,” said a special source. Us Weekly in September of that year. “He didn’t want to rush anything.”
Some couples just need a break every now and then! Click through to see your favorite couples — like Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake — who are inseparable and relive each year.
Three months later, us exclusively confirmed that the two musicians are expecting their first baby together. The child is Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s third child. He already shares daughter Chanelle and son Cornell Haynes III with his ex Channetta Valentine.
Scroll down to relive Ashanti and Nelly’s relationship from the beginning:
January 2003
The duo first crossed paths at a Grammy Awards press conference. Ashanti then revealed that Nelly happily asked for autographs when they met. “I thought it was sarcastic, and I remember writing it on the program,” he recalled while on VH1. Behind the Music special. “The picture has been in many publications as something else, but it all started as a joke. For the record, it took them a long time to get my number.
Nelly and Ashanti
KMazur/WireImageOctober 2005
Nelly was spotted on Ashanti’s 25th birthday. The following month, Ashanti was seen celebrating Nelly’s 31st birthday.
July 2006
Ashanti brought Nelly as a date for John Tucker Must Die premier In the film, Ashanti plays cheerleader Heather. The following year, the pair released their first collaboration, “Switch.”
Nelly and Ashanti
Gregg DeGuire/WireImageDecember 2009
The musicians reunited to release Nelly’s “Body on Me” music video just months after reports that they had split.
Ashanti and Nelly
Rob Loud/Getty ImagesOctober 2010
“We never admitted that we were together or back together or broke up, but we heard,” Nelly said Complex when asked about the two attending TI‘s wedding together that August. “All I said was friends and now they are.”
Summer 2013
The duo stopped for the second time.
Ashanti and Nelly
Theo Wargo/WireImage for Gabrielle’s Angel FoundationMarch 2015
“Sometimes, when people have their own insecurities, they can act rude,” Ashanti said of her breakup with Nelly during an appearance on Meredith Vieira Show. “I have been betrayed. Again, you just have to grow. You have to grow up and accept responsibility for what you do. I don’t really like cowards. I think it’s really important to know yourself and know what you want and get it. I am in another place now.”
September 2021
Ashanti and Nelly met in public for the first time when they appeared in friends Ja Rule and Joe is fatWar “Verzuz”. Ashanti later said during her Instagram Live that she “didn’t know she was going to be there.” He explained the time, “I haven’t seen him or talked to him since we broke up. Six years or what?”
There’s only one man for me, but you’re not him! This is the lesson the high school girls in John Tucker Must Die try to teach the most popular guy in school after discovering he’s dating three of them at the same time. In the film, which is in cinemas in (…)
December 2022
The following year, the two took the stage together to perform “Body on Me” at the Power 98.3 and 96.1 Under the Mistletoe concerts. When asked about the reunion, Ashanti revealed Andy Cohen he was surprised by how many fans invested in him and Nelly’s dynamic.
“My reaction was wow. It was a lot of comments and a lot of people wanted it,” he said during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that month. “What I will say is we’re in a better place. You know, because before, it was like (imitating fights). But now we’re cool. Yeah, we had some conversations, you know. So it’s cool.”
April 2023
Nelly and Ashanti sparked reconciliation rumors after they were spotted holding hands in Las Vegas while attending a boxing match.
Nelly and Ashanti
PGettyImages-1487782878 ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 3: Rappers Nelly and Ashanti attend R&B Wednesday at Red Martini Lounge on May 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImageJune 2023
The couple continued to fuel romance speculation when they stepped out at the 3rd Annual Birthday Ball for Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas at The Fox Theater in Atlanta. The event marked their first red carpet as a couple since their 2013 split.
Ashanti and Nelly
Paras Griffin/Getty ImagesSeptember 2023
Nelly spoke about her relationship with Ashanti during a clip from Philo TV’s “Boss Moves with Rasheeda,” saying, “Yeah, we lost it again.” She confirmed that the rekindled romance “surprised us both,” adding, “It was nothing I thought was planned.”
October 2023
The next month, Nelly gushed over his partner on her birthday. He called Ashanti “a very beautiful person, an amazing person inside and out and one of the hardest working women” in an Instagram post at the time. “Happy Birthday Love ya!!!!”
Ashanti and Nelly
Prince Williams/WireImageNovember 2023
When Nelly turned 49, Ashanti surprised her with a vintage 1962 Impala. “She was very shocked and surprised when she saw it. This gift meant the world to her for a more sentimental reason,” the source said. us in time. “This is Nelly’s dream car since childhood and she can’t believe that Ashanti gave her such a nice gift. This is one of the best gifts I have ever received.
The insider added that Ashanti “can’t wait” to gift Nelly. “They had been planning this surprise for months and it was a hard secret to keep. But seeing her reaction made it all worth it,” the source said.
December 2023
us exclusively confirmed Ashanti is pregnant. “Nelly and Ashanti welcomed their first baby,” an insider said.
April 2024
Ashanti publicly announced the pregnancy in an interview on April 17 with The point isalso confirm the couple involved.
“This new year in my life is a blessing full of love, hope, and hope,” Ashanti said The point is. “Motherhood is something I’ve always wanted, and sharing this with my family, my fiancee and my loyal fans, who have supported my career, is an incredible experience.”
June 2024
Two months after Ashanti announced her pregnancy, news broke that the couple had gotten married before welcoming their first child. According to documents obtained by usThe couple got married in December 2023.
