Aww, baby; the rumors are true! Nelly and Ashanti are not only expecting—but the rapper and R&B mama-to-be are ENGAGED!
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The news was first shared by Ashanti, 43, who took to Instagram on Wednesday, April 17, to announce her pregnancy.
In a video, Ashanti is seen getting ready for a performance as her glam team and her mom Tina Douglas urgently ask her how much time she needs.
“Uh, I’m gonna need about nine months,” responds the singer with a smile.
Following the big reveal, Ashanti confirmed to ESSENCE that Nelly, 49, popped the question and asked her to be his wife.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” said Ashanti. “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 also gave more insight into their pregnancy journey and told ESSENCE that they’re the co-owners of Proov, a diagnostics company that offers at-home tests that help individuals looking to conceive make it happen faster and in a way that doesn’t leave a large dent in their pockets. The rekindled duo owns the company alongside founder Amy Beckley, PhD.
After the news broke, Ashanti was seen onstage at a Florida conference cradling her baby bump in a royal blue dress.
This will be Ashanti’s first child, Nelly’s fifth. The rapper has a daughter, Chanelle, a son, Cornell Jr., and adopted Shawn and Sydney Thomas, the two children of his sister, Jackie Donahue, after she passed away from leukemia in 2005.
The rekindled couple sparked pregnancy rumors in December when Ashanti rested her hands on her stomach during a performance. Just days later, US Weekly broke the news that they were expecting their first child.
Most recently Dan thought they spotted Ashanti’s burgeoning bump while she performed onstage with Nelly in February for the 10th anniversary of E11EVEN Miami.
Congratulations to Nelly and Ashanti!
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