US music stars Ashanti and Nelly have announced their engagement and the upcoming arrival of their first child together.
The renowned artists, who initially dated over two decades ago, reignited their romance last year after their first meeting at the Grammy Awards in 2003. Following a decade-long relationship, they went their separate ways before finding their way back to each other.
In a brief Instagram video shared by Ashanti and Nelly, the “Foolish” singer is seen taking a pregnancy test before informing her mother, Tina Douglas, about the impending arrival. During the exchange, Tina Douglas queries how much time Ashanti will require to prepare for her next significant performance.
In response, Ashanti, adorned in a glittery outfit trimmed with fur, retrieves a pregnancy test and disappears backstage before returning to reveal, “I’m going to need about nine months.”
Confirming the news, the 43-year-old Ashanti revealed her engagement to the 49-year-old rapper Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr.
Nelly also shared the announcement on his official Instagram feed with the caption, “Baby baby baby baby.”
This child will mark Ashanti’s first and Nelly’s fifth. Nelly shares a daughter and a son with his former partner, Channetta Valentine, and he became the guardian of his late sister Jackie Donahue’s two children following her passing from leukemia in 2005.