Ashanti shared the sweet details of Nelly’s proposal as the couple prepares to welcome their first child together.
The singer reflected on the event and explained the casual way the rapper asked the question.
“It was just such a beautiful, intimate moment,” Ashanti said Entertainment tonight. “We weren’t posh.”
The 43-year-old said they were in bed watching television, dressed in pajamas, which contributed to why she was ‘completely’ shocked.
‘I cried. I gave him the biggest hug and kiss ever,” Ashanti recalled. “I FaceTimed everyone I know… I was overjoyed and shocked and surprised and happy, kind of all in one.”
Ashanti shared the sweet details of Nelly’s proposal as the couple prepares to welcome their first child together
When it comes to their upcoming nuptials, the Foolish artist confirmed that she will give birth before she walks down the aisle.
What can fans expect from Ashanti’s big day? She told the outlet that the beach, palm trees and lots of sun are all must-haves.
Ashanti also took a moment to reflect on how far she and the rapper have come since first dating in the early aughts.
“Never in a million years did I think we would be here,” she said. “Ten years ago – maybe – but after our breakup I didn’t even think we’d ever have a conversation again.”
The couple dated from 2003 to 2013 before going their separate ways.
Then, Nelly and Ashanti met in 2021 during Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s Verzuz battle.
The 49-year-old requested Ashanti’s song from DJ City, prompting the pair to rekindle their romance.
“I think when you go through a breakup, I personally shut that person out…” Ashanti continued. “It’s kind of like, okay, that chapter’s closed and you just move on, you know, and there’s nothing.”
And when they reconnected, the star dug deep to see if he was the one.
‘I cried. I gave him the biggest hug and kiss ever,” the singer recalled. “I FaceTimed everyone I know… I was overjoyed and shocked and surprised and happy, kind of all in one.”
‘I really had to be honest with myself, do I have feelings for him again? What is going on?’ she explained.
“Because they were gone, you know what I mean. They were gone. I was pleasantly surprised that they were there.’
In fact, things are even better than they were ten years ago.
“The growth has been fantastic, you know, on both sides,” Ashanti told ET.
“We’re both in a place where, like in the past, sometimes we would argue and walk out, slam the door and not talk for a few days.”
The 43-year-old confirmed she will give birth before walking down the aisle
But the duo knows how to approach today’s issues in a more communicative way.
“Now it’s like, ‘Okay, you okay?’ You know, give me a kiss goodbye and it’s over,” the actress said.
‘It’s not a matter of persevering and bickering and then figuring out what the solution is. Our apologies… It used to take a little longer for me to apologize.”
Now that their little one is on the way, Ashanti feels like she and her fiancé are completely on the same page.
“I think we’re both so passionate about working and about building a family,” she noted. “We’re so on the same page.”
“I think we’re both so passionate about working and building a family,” she told Entertainment Tonight. ‘We are so, so aligned’
In addition to an adorable proposal, another milestone occurred when Ashanti discovered she would be a mother for the first time.
After missing her period, the Winter Song star began to suspect she might be pregnant and decided to FaceTime Nelly — who is also father to Shawn, Chanelle, Sydney and Cornell — to tell him the news.
‘I couldn’t wait, [I] I had to take it out,” Ashanti said Entertainment tonight. ‘And he said, “Oh, I knew that.”’
“He was so happy and we were both smiling and it was so funny,” she continued. “I was actually at his mother’s house. He was in the studio. It was a really cool moment. It was a little bit of everything.’
On Mother’s Day, Ashanti shared a look at her growing bump and posted an adorable sequence photos from their party.
“This Mother’s Day was so special…,” she wrote alongside a photo of the smiling couple. “It was wonderful to have our families together as we are about to embark on such an incredible journey. Wishing all the wonderful mothers and mothers a wonderful Mother’s Day/Pre-Mother’s Day!!!!!’
“Yes, yes, I know I’m late…” Ashanti teased. ‘It was so much food that I got distracted. Ps… I only had 1 plate.’