Exclusive: Ashanti and Nelly are expecting a baby — and they’re engaged!

Ashanti and Nelly are expecting a baby!

The singer shared the excellent news exclusively with ESSENCE and is overjoyed not only concerning the birth of her first child, but in addition about her engagement to her long-time love.

“This new year of my life is a blessing full of love, hope and expectation,” she says. “Motherhood is something I’ve been looking forward to, and sharing it with my family, fiancé and the loyal fans who have been so supportive of my career is an amazing experience.”

The couple also tells ESSENCE exclusively that they are co-owners A samplewith founder Amy Beckley, Ph.D. It’s a diagnostic company that gives at-home tests that help individuals who need to get pregnant faster and in a way that does not leave a big dent of their pockets. Medical tests help bring to light problems that could be stopping you from getting pregnant. Proov appeared in Ashanti’s pregnancy announcement video, which ESSENCE shared on Instagram.

It’s all a part of a recent chapter in the celebrities’ lives. As mentioned, this will likely be Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s fifth. He has a daughter, Chanelle, and a son, Cornell Jr. and adopted Shawn and Sydney Thomas, two children of his sister Jackie Donahue, who died of leukemia in 2005.

The pair reunited in 2023, and the “Country Grammar” rapper confirmed the news after they were spotted together at parties and flirty appearances, in addition to following Ashanti carrying a clutch bag together with her and Nelly’s face on it eventually yr’s Grammy Awards.

“Yes, we’re cool again,” he said last fall during an interview with Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta featuring Kirk and Rasheeda Frost. “But I feel it surprised each of us. It wasn’t something that…[was] planned. I feel we each mainly do what we do.

The pair rekindled their romance, which began in 2003, early of their music careers. He says that now that they are older and love one another in another way, all the pieces is way easier.

“There’s no pressure,” he said in the identical interview. “You know, before I felt like we were each doing what we were doing career-wise. And when there are so many individuals inside, it might probably be difficult.

Before reuniting, they began communicating again after the Verzuz event between Fat Joe and Ja Rule. Nelly notably shared a hug in the course of the star-studded event, which Ashanti said after the very fact was a surprise.

“I had no idea he would be there. I haven’t seen or talked to him since we broke up. “I do not know if it has been six years or something, so I didn’t know what to anticipate,” she said during a 2021 Instagram Live with friends and collaborators Ja Rule and Fat Joe. “It’s a crazy thing, nothing was said about it. I saw him walking, his eyes got big, I didn’t know what to expect. It was positive.”

When Ja suggested that Nelly was single and ready so far, Ashanti initially avoided reconciliation talks.

“Listen, I’m a very positive person. I’m very private. I wish him all the best and all the best,” she said on the time. “Many things have happened, many remain unresolved. Lots of gray area. Lots of confusion. That’s all I’m saying! Many things happened. They hate to hear this part, don’t they? They want to hear, “What is this old thing?” They don’t need to listen to about all the pieces that happened in between. Don’t worry, I won’t let you know.

But behind the scenes, the couple has done the work to maneuver on from the past and fall in love again. And now they’re preparing to begin a family together and be husband and wife – the sort of relationship Nelly hasn’t seemed so sure about prior to now. But apparently Ashanti helped him change his mind and we like to see that.