Ashanti announces pregnancy, expecting first child with Nelly

R&B star Ashanti has confirmed she is pregnant with rapper Nelly, their first child.

Ashanti made the announcement in an Instagram video she shared on Wednesday as she prepared to perform.

In the video, Ashanti’s mother, Tina Douglas, asked her if she was ready for the show, to which Ashanti humorously replied, “It’ll take me about nine months.” The news of Tina’s pregnancy made Tina Shocked.

The upcoming children will be Ashanti’s first and Nelly’s third, as Hergé The artist is already the father of Chanel Haynes III and Cornell Haynes III.

Nelly passed away from leukemia in 2005 and adopted her late sister Jackie Donahue’s children, Shawn and Sydney Thomas.

The couple hinted at their pregnancy news at an event in December.

They officially split in 2013 after rekindling their romance earlier this year after a decade of on-and-off dating.

Their relationship made headlines at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards last September, with Ashanti walking the pink carpet alone but carrying a purse adorned with a photo of her and Nelly, whom she wore 20 years earlier. Photos from the VMAs to commemorate their lasting connection.

talk with Eastern Time, “I just thought it was cool because this photo was taken 20 years ago at the 2003 VMAs,” she said.

She recalled the positive position they were in during that time.