Ashanti says Nelly proposed to her while she was watching TV.
“It was just such a beautiful, intimate moment,” she told ET in a story published June 18. “We were not dressy.”
Ashanti said she was wearing his clothes and laying in bed watching tv when he popped the question.
“I cried. I gave him the biggest hug and kiss ever,” she said. “I FaceTimed everyone I know ... I was overjoyed and shocked and surprised and happy kind of like all in one.”
She and Nelly are expecting their first child together, due to be born before they wed, she told ET.
Ashanti wants the wedding to include a beach, sunshine and palm trees, she said.
She previously confirmed her pregnancy and engagement to Essence in April.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” she told the magazine on April 17. “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.”
With the Essence announcement, Ashanti also posted an Instagram video revealing her pregnancy. The clip shows Ashanti getting ready before a show with people asking how much time she needs.
"I'm gonna need about nine months," she says, holding up a pregnancy test strip.
"Baby baby baby baby," the Instagram video is captioned.
The confirmation comes months after fans speculated the singer was pregnant. Back in December, video circulated of Ashanti and Nelly placing their hands on her stomach at an event he hosted in St. Louis.
Nelly, 49, shares two adult children, daughter Chanelle Haynes and son Cornell Haynes III, with his ex-partner Channetta Valentine. The rapper also adopted Shawn and Sydney Thomas, his sister Jackie Donahue's two children after she died of leukemia in 2005, per Essence.
Nelly previously commented on the possibility of kids with Ashanti in the comments section of an Instagram post on Nov. 4 that thanked Ashanti for the blue convertible she gifted him for his birthday.
"Get her pregnant @nelly," read one comment. "TONIGHT!!"
Nelly replied: "I'm on it."
The two first met in 2003 and were rumored to be dating for years. But it wasn’t until 2015, after they had reportedly been broken up for a couple years, that Ashanti confirmed the split, per People.
The couple confirmed they are back together in September.
“Never in a million years did I think we would be here,” she told ET of getting back together after all these years.
“Ten years ago — maybe yes — but after our breakup, I didn’t even think we’d ever have a conversation again,” she said.
But they crossed paths at an industry event in 2021 and Nelly asked a mutual friend for her phone number, Ashanti said. He called a few times and Ashanti had to ask herself if she had any lingering romantic feelings for him, she said.
"I was pleasantly surprised that they were there," she said.
The two have grown over the last 20 years and it has made their relationship better this time around, Ashanti said.
“The growth has been superb on both ends,” she said. "Before, sometimes we would argue and walk out, slam the door, and not talk for a few days. Now, it’s kind of like, ‘All right, you good?’ Give me a kiss goodbye and it’s over."
“I think just we both are so passionate about working and about building family,” she added. “We are so, so aligned.”
Ashanti carried a clutch to the 2023 Video Music Awards that had a picture of them from years ago printed on it.
She told TODAY on the red carpet at the VMAs, “This is where we first exchanged numbers. I was like, ‘Oh, this would be cute.’”
“Everything is lining up in the universe,” she added. “So I’m happy.”
Nelly gave an interview on “Boss Moves With Rasheeda" Sept. 12, and when asked if he and Ashanti were back together, he replied, "Yeah, we cool again." He flashed a bright smile.
Ashanti and Nelly reconnecting two decades after meeting has stirred up their fan bases.
"I swear @ashanti and Nelly are the cutest he spun the block and ain’t stopped smiling yet he IN LOVE with her," a fan tweeted alongside a video of the couple singing.
"I’m so genuinely happy for Ashanti and Nelly…like they went their merry way and found each other again…" another fan wrote.
"S/O to @ashanti and Nelly! This is easily the happiest couple I have ever seen," a third said.
