See Pregnant Ashanti's Sweet Reaction to Nelly's Surprise Baby Shower

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Nelly and Ashanti archetypal crossed paths astatine the 45th yearly Grammy Awards information announcement successful 2003.

"The archetypal clip I met Nelly, helium asked maine for my autograph but I deliberation helium was being sarcastic," she recalled during VH1’s Behind the Music special. "I retrieve penning it down connected the program, and that representation has been successful truthful galore publications arsenic ‘something else.’ But it each started retired arsenic a joke."

Although, a romance didn't blossom close away.

"For the record," Ashanti continued, "it took him a agelong clip to get my number."

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Over the adjacent fewer years, the "Happy" vocalist and the "Hot In Herre" creator continued to be respective events together—including each other's day celebrations.

And portion Ashanti confirmed to People she and Nelly went out, she made it wide they were "not fellow and girlfriend."

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And portion it whitethorn look foolish to deliberation determination wasn't a transportation betwixt Ashanti and Nelly, particularly aft the merchandise of their 2008 deed "Body On Me," she insisted their enslaved was conscionable platonic.

“Me and Nelly, we’re bully friends. We footwear it–hang retired a lot,” she told People astatine the time. “The manufacture is precise hard, truthful it’s bully to person amusive and lighten it up.”

As for immoderate rumors that a wedding was successful the works?

“Oh no. Noooo! No engagement," Ashanti added. “But decidedly successful the future. Ha! Ha!”

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In 2009, reports dispersed that Nelly and Ashanti had breached up.

"We're ever going to beryllium cool," helium told VladTV successful 2010 astir wherever they stand. "We're friends. It's decidedly thing that, close now, my absorption is 5.0. Her absorption is her medium and getting her euphony and worldly similar that together. And I deliberation it's conscionable 1 of those things."

However, the "Just a Dream" rapper continued to play coy astir their history.

"To accidental we divided up is to accidental that we were together," helium added. "Our narration has been based successful the media due to the fact that it's thing we ever said astir it."

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But successful 2013, Ashanti fueled divided rumors.

"Nelly and I are successful the abstraction wherever I'm benignant of similar focusing connected my career," she said connected Hot 97. "He's focusing connected what he's doing. There's a batch of things that happened this year. A batch of things went nationalist much than different things person gone nationalist before."

"I person to bash me," Ashanti, who released her medium Braveheart successful 2014, continued. "We're successful that abstraction close now. And determination were things that were said and things that were done that astir apt shouldn't person been said oregon done but they person been."

She past confirmed the divided successful 2015.

"I deliberation sometimes erstwhile radical person their ain insecurities it allows them to enactment retired of character," she said connected The Meredith Vieira Show. "I’ve been betrayed. Again, you conscionable person to grow. You person to turn up. You person to judge responsibilities for the things that you do."

"I’m not a large instrumentality of radical being cowards," she added. "So I deliberation that it’s conscionable truly important to cognize yourself and recognize what you privation and get it. You know, I’m successful a antithetic spot close now."

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Fast-forward to 2021, erstwhile Ashanti and Nelly joined Jermaine Dupri, Papoose, Ma, Fat Joe, Ja Rule and Lil' Mo for VERZUZ: Fat Joe Vs Ja Rule.

The pursuing year, they performed unneurotic again, and the John Tucker Must Die prima aboriginal revealed if she believed successful 2nd chances.

"What I volition accidental is I judge that radical evolve," she said connected Bevy Smith's Bevelations. "I judge that radical grow. I judge that radical larn from their mistakes—some of them, not everybody. You cognize what I’m saying? I consciousness similar you decidedly person to spell done thing that makes you alteration successful your time."

As she aboriginal enactment it, "We person to see. I mean, what’s meant to beryllium volition be, undoubtedly. Did I deliberation a fewer years agone that I’d beryllium performing with Nelly connected stage? No."

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In 2023, Ashanti confirmed to E! News she and Nelly rekindled their romance, and the "Country Grammar" creator suggested they hadn't anticipated getting backmost together.

"We chill again," helium said connected Boss Moves With Rasheeda. "I deliberation it amazed some of us, though. It wasn’t thing that was like, I don’t think, planned. I deliberation we some was beauteous overmuch doing what we do. But sometimes being separate, you recognize 1 different more."

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Ashanti announces she and Nelly are engaged and having a baby.

“This caller twelvemonth of my beingness is specified a blessing afloat of love, hope, and anticipation,” she told Essence. “Motherhood is thing that I person looked guardant to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who person been truthful supportive of my career, is an astonishing experience.”