Nelly only had the best of intentions after getting a second chance with his early 2000s girlfriend, Ashanti.
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Their romance reignited in 2023, and by the end of the year, they were married in a secret ceremony. Upon discovering Ashanti was pregnant with their first child, Nelly shared with Bootleg Kev that they hadn’t initially planned on marriage but moved forward faster than anticipated.
“Once we found out that she was pregnant… We didn’t talk about any of that,” Nelly explained. “I was like, ‘Yo, let’s just knock this out because we’re going to be doing so much and everything’s moving so fast.’ I didn’t want her to be a baby mama because we already knew where we were in life.”
Ashanti gave birth to their son, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, in July 2024. The couple had been on and off since starting their relationship in 2003, but they officially confirmed their reunion in September 2023. When asked about their reunion onstage at the 2021 Verzuz battle, Nelly shared, “We didn’t even talk. I went over and got a hug and broke the ice. We didn’t talk for probably almost another eight to nine months to a year. Everything happens for a reason.”
Earlier this year, Ashanti expressed a desire to expand their family, saying, “We’re going to add some more. Definitely a girl to balance it out.”
Since then, rumors have swirled that the couple was expecting again. Neither has confirmed nor denied the speculation.
