Ashanti is still overjoyed about her engagement to Nelly.
The singer told Entertainment Tonight about how the “Hot In Here” hitmaker proposed to her, and what her dream wedding would look like. The couple, who dated in the early aughts, broke up in 2013, and then got back together a decade later, are also currently expecting their first child together.
Ashanti, 43, called the moment Nelly, 49, popped the question a “beautiful, intimate moment,” revealing that they were at home and, as a result, not dressed up for the occasion. “I definitely had one of his T-shirts and his boxers,” she said, adding that she had no idea that was going to be the moment he asked her to marry him.
However, Ashanti had an inkling that a proposal was imminent. “I felt like it was gonna come soon,” she said. “I didn’t know when. And the way that it happened was just so funny.”
Then, after Nelly proposed, she recalled being “overjoyed and shocked and surprised and happy.”
In terms of wedding planning, Ashanti has already been dreaming about her big day. She thinks a wedding could happen in the near future, but not right away. “We’re both extremely busy, obviously with the baby coming, everything else takes the back seat,” she said, noting to ET that would like to have her baby before the wedding.
She does have a month in mind for her big day though, but she didn’t reveal when. While the date may be a secret, the singer is hoping for her wedding to include a “combination of fashion, glam, Caribbean vibes,” adding per ET, “I have to have a beach, an ocean, sunshine, palm trees!”
Ashanti and Nelly met in 2003 at a Grammys press conference. They became romantically linked after that and wound up dating for 10 years. During their time apart, Ashanti said there was “no beef” between them.
The couple unexpectedly reunited in 2021 when they performed during Ja Rule and Fat Joe’s Verzuz battle.Two years later, the couple revealed that they were back together in 2023, rekindling their love.
In April, Ashanti confirmed that she was pregnant and that she and Nelly were engaged. “This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” she told Essence at the time.
“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,” she added, per the magazine.
During their initial relationship and their recent reunion, the couple has collaborated musically. In 2009, Ashanti appeared in Nelly’s flirty music video for “Body on Me.” In February, they both appeared on “This Lil’ Game We Play” by Jermaine Dupri.
“It’s always fun. It was a ball,” Ashanti told reporter about their most recent musical collab. “A lot of artists don’t get to record together, but we were actually in the studio together at the same time, which was cool.”
