Ashanti Confirms Pregnancy Rumors With Nelly In Sly Way

The rumors were true: Ashanti and Nelly are expecting their first child. Ashanti announced her pregnancy in an advertisement for Proov on Wednesday (April 17).

“I’m gonna need about nine months,” she declared in the video, tagging Nelly in the Instagram post.

The baby will be Nelly’s fifth child and Ashanti’s first. The social media reveal ended months of pregnancy rumors.

Last December, the couple stirred up the rumor by seemingly hinting at Ashanti being pregnant during an interaction at Nelly’s Black and White Ball. The speculation increased when Ashanti appeared to be hiding a baby bump when she performed with Ja Rule at a show in January. The singer’s mother/manager Tina Douglas struggled to keep the secret while participating in a panel discussion in March.

“There’s been no announcement,” Douglas said. “It hasn’t come out yet, but, you know, until I hear it from Ashanti and Nelly.”

She added, “No, it is public. Don’t get it twisted, but it hasn’t been officially announced.”

Ashanti and Nelly rekindled their romance in 2023. The couple dated off and on for years before breaking up more than a decade ago. Ashanti addressed their split in a 2015 interview on The Meredith Viera Show.

“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities, it allows them to act out of character,” Ashanti said. “I’ve been betrayed. And I feel like 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.”

Ashanti and Nelly reunited at Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s Verzuz battle in 2021. They performed together for the first time in years in 2022. Fans took notice of their onstage chemistry. The love story came full circle when the couple confirmed they were back together in 2023.