Ashanti, Expecting First Child, Affirms Engagement to Nelly Before Baby's Arrival

Ashanti and Nelly are engaged and expecting their first baby together. "This new year in my life is a blessing filled with love, hope, and anticipation," said Ashanti, 43, to Essence on April 17. "I've always longed for motherhood, and it's truly incredible to share this joy with my family, fiancé, and devoted fans who have supported me throughout my career. Additionally, the singer announced her pregnancy in an Instagram video, showing her team rushing her onstage for a concert." "Need around nine months," she quipped, displaying a Proov fertility test.

Ashanti co-owns the company with Nelly, 49. Captioning her post, she wrote, "Baby baby baby baby..." Ashanti and Nelly are expecting their first baby together, as reported by media in December 2023. Nelly has two children with ex Channetta Valentine, Chanelle (29) and Cornell Haynes III (24). He also adopted his late sister Jackie Donahue's children, Shawn and Sydney, after her death in 2005.

Ashanti and Nelly met at the Grammy Awards and dated intermittently from 2003 to 2013. They reunited in April 2023. "Yeah, we cool again," Nelly said on the "Boss Moves with Rasheeda" podcast in September 2023, surprising both of us. It was all planned. Before, we were both focused on our careers, but it became difficult with many people involved. Weeks later, a source revealed that Ashanti and Nelly were taking their reunion slowly. "Ashanti never expected to reconcile with Nelly a few years ago, but they're enjoying their time together," a source told media in September 2023.

According to an insider, Ashanti and Nelly have a deep connection and are very comfortable together. They don't want to rush anything. During Ashanti's pregnancy, her famous friends and ex-partners are thrilled for the couple, saying she's a cool person. "She truly is an amazing person," raved Joyner Lucas about Ashanti on the "Jason Lee Show" recently. She's soon becoming a mom, fulfilling her true desire. He said, "She'll be a great mom. I used to tell her that all the time [when we were together]."