Ashanti & Nelly’s Love Story Is 20 Years In The Making

Ashanti announced her pregnancy this week, and fans are overjoyed for the singer.

The “Happy” star gave Essence an exclusive statement; she not only shared that she and Nelly were expecting but also that he’d popped the question. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ashanti (@ashanti)

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation. Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience,” she revealed. 

For months, the Grammy Award winner has been subjected to pregnancy rumors thanks to her increase in baggy clothes. However, her revealing that she and Nelly are engaged is new to many, who have been rooting for the couple after they got back together for good years after their on-again, off-again romance. As we celebrate this exciting milestone for one of our favorite Y2K couples, let’s take a look back at how we got here. 

2003 – Nelly and Ashanti first met at a Grammy Awards press conference. It is believed they began dating shortly after. 

2005 – Ashanti played coy about the relationship until two years later, when she revealed to People in 2005 that they’d been seeing each other, seemingly casually. The two would frequently be photographed at various events, though neither was willing to offer much information about their status. 

2008 – In another June 2008 chat with People, Ashanti once again downplayed their romance but joked about a possible marriage with the “Ride With Me” rapper. 

“Oh no. Noooo! No engagement, but definitely in the future. Ha! Ha!” she quipped, a joke that has sweetly come full circle. 

The pair would collaborate on the single “Body On Me” the following year, and the sparks were still apparent between them, though they would soon hit a bump in the road, with breakup rumors arriving in August 2009. 

2010 – During a December 2010 interview with RapUpTv, Nelly outright denied that they were in a relationship and wouldn’t confirm nor deny if they ever were. He claimed the two were “just friends” and shot down any talks of walking down the aisle. 

“Right now, we’re friends; I’m married to my work,” he claimed. 

2013: It was widely reported that the two officially broke up in 2013, though the details were murky. In true Ashanti and Nelly fashion, they didn’t immediately address the chatter. However, in March 2014, the vocalist finally told Angie Martinez that they indeed went their separate ways. 

Ashanti wouldn’t elaborate on what led to their demise until a year later, telling “The Meredith Vieira Show” in March 2015 that a “lack of trust” ended things, adding that she’d been “betrayed” by Nelly. 

The two would spend years dating other people, with Nelly having relationships with model Lashontae Heckard and Shantel Jackson, with whom he spent seven years. Ashanti, on the other hand, was a bit more lowkey with her lovers, though Joyner Lucas recently shared that he dated her for two years before she reconciled with the “Nellyville” lyricist. 

2021: Ashanti and Nelly publicly reunited during the Ja Rule and Fat Joe Verzuz battle. The duo were seen hugging and appeared friendly with one another. From there, it seems the pair kept in touch because, in December 2022, she told Andy Cohen during “Watch What Happens Live” that she and the rapper were in a better place. 

2023 – Throughout 2023, they were spotted together on countless occasions beginning in April 2023, and this time, it was clear they were much more than friends. Finally, in September 2023, the couple confirmed they had gotten back together. 

Fast-forward to 2024. We witnessed Ashanti switch up her wardrobe as she continued performing until April 17th, 2024, when she broke the news that the two had settled down and started a family. 

A love story 20 years in the making.