Ashanti and Nelly, one of the most high-profile couples in the music world, took over the internet when they rekindled their romance after a decade. They have once again made news as the source has claimed the singer/actress is allegedly pregnant. The rumors started after the couple at Nelly’s Black and White Ball in St Louis. Their relationship dates back a decade, and, as they say, no matter how far apart two hearts drift away, they are meant to be; they will find a way to be together.
The couple has also worked together, and their collaborative song Body On Me, also featuring Akon, is one of the most notable works and is still loved by the fans. They always kept their romantic life low-key and were shy about their relationship. However, the songstress spoke about what went wrong between them sometime after the breakup. Keep scrolling to get the deets.
As per reports, during the Black and White Ball on December 3rd, Ashanti was a special guest at Nelly’s party; when she went onstage with him, he rubbed her midriff, sending everyone in the room into a state of surprise. According to a US Weekly source, they are welcoming their first baby together. Nelly already shares a daughter and son with ex-Channetta Valentine.
Ashanti and Nelly dated for a while before parting ways and reuniting in 2023. Let’s take a look at the couple’s relationship timeline here.
2000s – Love & Music
Ashanti and Nelly met one another at Grammy Award Nomination events in 2003. Recalling their first meeting, the Foolish hitmaker told on VH1’s Behind the Music special how the rapper asked for her autograph. In 2005, she told People they went out and weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend.
In 2006, they started attending events like TAO’s 6th-anniversary party and Sean Diddy‘s perfume launch event. In 2008, Ashanti told People that she and Nelly had been spending much time together. At that time, they were reportedly dating for five years.
In 2009, Nelly and Ashanti released their famous music video Body on Me, featuring Akon. They were seen getting flirty in the video.
2010s – Trouble in Paradise
In 2010, Nelly told RapUpTV that he and the Foolish singer were just friends. Although they enjoyed spending time together, he was married to his work.
In 2013, Ashanti went on to deny her relationship with Nelly and the rumors of their breakup. She insisted that the two were good friends and had no bad blood.
In 2014, she was allegedly spotted partying with Nelly, and when asked about it, Ashanti said there is no beef and told HOT 97, “It’s a very small industry. Are we gonna see each other? Yeah… I’m not bitter. I feel like in a relationship, it’s like ping-pong. Sometimes you love them, sometimes you hate them. That’s a real statement; everyone goes through that.”
In 2015, while appearing on The Meredith Viera Show, she confirmed her breakup from Nelly and said, “I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities, it allows them to act out of character.” She also said, “I’ve been betrayed. You just have to grow. You have to grow up. You have to accept responsibility for the things that you do. I’m not a big fan of people being cowards.”
2021 – Reunion!
The former couple reunited at the Verzuz stage for their performance with Ja Rule and Fat Joe. She even took to her Instagram to share the bewilderment of seeing Nelly on stage.
2022 – Performs Body On Me!
In December 2022, they got back together for Power 98.3 and 96.1’s Under the Mistletoe concert, where they performed their song Body on Me and the chemistry between them was spot on. Later that month, she appeared on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live. Ashanti said that she and Nelly were cool about things between them and were in a better place.
2023 – Rekindling Romance & Pregnancy Rumor
According to reports, they were spotted holding hands after a boxing match in Las Vegas. That took place in April, and in May, a People’s source said that they were taking things slowly. They stepped out together in June after a decade at the 3rd Annual Birthday Ball for Quality Control CEO Pierre ‘P’ Thomas in Atlanta. In August, the couple posted a video of them singing romantic lyrics to each other.
In September, Nelly and Ashanti confirmed they were dating, and in October, he surprised her with a diamond necklace on her birthday.
In November, the Foolish singer threw a surprise birthday party for the rapper. In December, there were rumors that the couple was expecting their first child, with a US Weekly source confirming the news.
