Shantel Jackson slammed for revealing details of split from Nelly as rapper and Ashanti prepare for new baby

During a recent Instagram Live, Shantel Jackson, aka Miss Jackson, opened up about her 2021 split from rapper Nelly, shedding light on the tip of their seven-year relationship.

Many wondered why she was only speaking out about it now, since her ex-husband is allegedly married and expecting a baby with Ashanti soon.

Jackson, who was once linked to Floyd Mayweather, desired to clear the air and put an end to any “imaginary” stories.

She appeared on stage with a new face, a pink terry cloth headband, and told her followers in regards to the breakup.

“I left,” Jackson began, emphasizing that she was the one who ended the connection. “I LEFT because initially, I think I wanted space to see… maybe… if that space would bring us closer together, or if I needed that space because I just needed to rip off the Band-Aid.”

Jackson says the space was obligatory to “rip off that band-aid.” She goes on to clarify that despite the split, “there’s no ill will, nothing bad” between her and the “Hot In Herre” rapper.

“Sometimes people don’t work out. People grow apart,” Jackson added. “Sometimes one person might want to stay in the situation and the other person might think it’s not working. That happens, you know?”

Although Jackson stressed there have been no dramatic reasons for their split, social media users were quick to query her motives for discussing a split now, especially given Nelly’s ongoing marriage to Grammy Award-winning artist Ashanti.

At location! published posted a clip of the published on her Instagram profile, and fans joined the discussion, suggesting that she forget in regards to the St. Louis host.

One Instagram user commented, “Okay let’s just move on and stop talking about it. It’s 2024, NELLY and ASHANTI ARE SOLID and married. Time has passed and NELLY has a New Beginning so everything else is irrelevant at this point.” Another added, “You left Nelly time to spend the block on Ashanti, you did it mom.”

Another chimed in: “We don’t care. He’s married and has a baby on the way. Let’s let it go! With love.”

A fourth comment chided: “CORNYYYYY Did she at least end this unnecessary conversation by congratulating him on his current relationship? Because that’s definitely desperate and attention-seeking urghhhh.”

The reactions weren’t all harsh.

Some offered Jackson advice on moving on. “It doesn’t matter who left, sometimes people come into your life for a season and when that season ends it’s time to move on,” one user wrote. “He made Ashanti his WIFE and they have a baby on the way. Keep healing, growing and shining.”

Ashanti, 43, and Nelly, 49, rekindled their romance a decade after their first split in 2013. During their split, Nelly bonded with Jackson.

The reunited couple, who began dating in 2003, have since gone full steam ahead, announcing that they’ve their first child together. Fans, as well as their celebrity following, have rallied across the duo, who’re proving that sometimes love is healthier the second time around.

ET recently revealed that Nelly and Ashanti married quietly in December 2023.

This isn’t the primary time Jackson has spoken out about her split from Nelly. During an appearance on talk show The Real in 2021, she described the split as mutual and amicable, noting that they “didn’t end on bad terms.”

Jackson’s decision to return to the split has left many wondering about her intentions, with some speculating that she’s attempting to distract from the joyful news surrounding Nelly and Ashanti.

But Nelly and Ashanti aren’t tripping over themselves. As they prepare to welcome their first child, it’s clear that each have already moved on from their previous relationships. Fans are hoping Jackson can, too.