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Legendary music artists Nelly and Ashanti reportedly tied the knot in a secret ceremony on December 27, 2023. According to TMZ, the couple chose St. Louis County, Missouri, Nelly’s hometown, to make their union official, though the exact location of the ceremony remains undisclosed.
The time of the marriage coincides with the couple’s announcement of Ashanti’s pregnancy, also made in December. In an interview with Essence, Ashanti expressed her gratitude and excitement for this new chapter in her life.
“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.”
Ashanti playfully revealed her pregnancy on Instagram with a video showing her getting ready for a performance, captioning it, “Baby baby baby baby…. 
”.
This baby will be Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s third. Nelly is already a father to two adult children from a previous relationship.
The couple rekindled their romance in 2023 after dating on and off for a decade, from 2003 to 2013. Their secret marriage and pregnancy announcement mark a joyous new beginning for the beloved pair.
Ashanti and Nelly: A Look Back at Their Love Story
Ashanti and Nelly’s romance dates back to their first meeting in 2003 at a Grammy Awards press conference. An iconic image from the event captures the young musicians together, marking the beginning of their relationship.
In an interview with VH1’s Behind The Music, Ashanti shared a memorable moment from their first encounter. “The first time I met Nelly, he asked me for my autograph, but I think he was being sarcastic, and I remember writing it down on the program,” she recalled.
The couple maintained a relatively low-profile relationship, occasionally offering fans glimpses into their love life. One notable instance was in the music video for Nelly’s track “Body On Me,” where their chemistry was on full display. In the song, Nelly raps, “I wanna make you someone more than just a bone in my closet/I wanna win that type of relationship.” The music video features the pair flirting and dancing together, providing a rare public look at their affection for each other.
Nelly refused to admit the relationship in a 2010 interview, claiming to be married to his work but Ashanti confirmed their breakup in a statement in 2014. The couple was seen holding hands after a boxing match in April 2023 and were seen together in public on different occasions.
In September 2023, Nelly spoke about their relationship to Philo TV’s Boss Moves With Rasheeda. “Yeah. We cool again,” Nelly said. “We cool again. I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that was, like, I don’t think planned. I think we both was pretty much doing what we do. But sometimes being separate, you understand one another more.”
