Ashanti Confirms She’s Pregnant, Expecting Baby with Nelly — and They’re Engaged: ‘Such a Blessing’

Nelly and Ashanti are working on a special duet!

The Grammy Award-winning artists are expecting their first baby together, the R&B songstress confirmed in a video shared to her Instagram on Wednesday, April 17.

As Ashanti, 43, gets ready for a performance, her mom Tina Douglas asks her how much time she needs. “Uh, I’m gonna need about nine months,” Ashanti answers, prompting her mom to look shocked.
The singer shared the news with Essence, revealing that not only is she pregnant, but she and Nelly, 49, are engaged.

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” Ashanti told the outlet. “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 and Nelly on stage in Miami. ALEXANDER TAMARGO/GETTY IMAGES FOR E11EVEN

The pair first sparked pregnancy rumors as they celebrated together at the 11th Black and White Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel in December, bringing the event back to St. Louis after a seven-year hiatus.

During a moment when both were on stage, the singer rested her hands on her stomach. As the rapper noticed, he did the same. The two made eye contact before busting into big smiles and laughter, which many fans took as a hint that there was baby news to share.

In September, Nelly confirmed the couple was back together during an appearance on the Boss Moves with Rasheeda show, saying the reconciliation “surprised both of us.”

“It wasn’t anything that we planned. We both were pretty much doing what we do,” he explained. “But sometimes, being separate, you understand one another more. You could be like, ‘Well yo, let me exactly see maybe what they see.’ We all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it, you know what I mean? But we all a victim to that.”

At the event, she told PEOPLE she and Nelly were “in a great space,” adding, “Everything is positive. [We’re] having a lot of fun.”

Ashanti and Nelly. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Nelly is already dad to son Cornell III (who goes by Tre), 21, and daughter, Chanelle (who goes by Nana), 26. The rapper also helped raise niece Sydney and nephew Shawn after his sister, Jackie Donahue died of leukemia at 31 in March 2005.

Recently, the couple playfully flirted in the comments of an Instagram post, with fans celebrating that the two musicians were back together.

As their comments turned more playful, one commenter interjected telling Nelly to “get her pregnant tonight.”

“I’m on it,” he replied with a saluting emoji.