American singer Ashanti has announced that she is expecting her first child with rapper Nelly, and the couple is also engaged to be married. They shared the news of their engagement and pregnancy with Essence magazine.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti told Essence. “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 posted a video on her social media promoting her and Nelly’s company, Proov, which specializes in at-home pregnancy tests. In the video, she is seen preparing to go onstage when someone asks her how much time she needs.
“I’m gonna need about nine months,” the 43-year-old singer-songwriter says after finally emerging.
This will be Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s fifth. The 49-year-old rapper has a daughter, Chanelle, and a son, Cornell Jr., and he also adopted his sister Jackie Donahue’s kids, Shawn and Sydney, after she died of leukemia in 2005.
Nelly and Ashanti previously dated on and off for about 11 years before calling it quits in 2013. However, they rekindled their relationship last year.”Yeah, we cool again,” Nelly, said last September, confirming his relationship with Ashanti. “I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that …[was] planned. I think we’re both pretty much doing what we do.”
