Ashanti Revealed What Really Happened the First Time She Met Nelly: ‘It Took Him a Long Time to Get My Number’
R&B singer Ashanti was tied to rapper Nelly for more than a decade between the early 2000s and 2010s, and they were one of the music industry’s favorite couples. After what felt like forever, the two went their separate ways, but they always had strong chemistry. Ultimately, they wound up reconnecting nearly a decade after their split, and long story short, they’re married with a son.
Still, Ashanti once revealed what really happened the day she met Nelly, and she said the rapper seemed a little “sarcastic” at first.
Ashanti once opened up about what it was like meeting Nelly for the first time
Ashanti and Nelly go back years, and their relationship pretty much defined the early 2000s. They were two of the biggest stars in their respective genres when they first met, and everyone wanted them to end up together. Still, the couple kept their relationship extremely private, only acknowledging it a handful of times and often referring to themselves as just friends.
Ashanti once revealed what it was really like meeting Nelly for the first time. Back in 2011, she spoke to VH1 about the couple’s initial interaction. “The first time I met Nelly, he asked me for my autograph, but I think he was being sarcastic, and I remember writing it down on the program,” Ashanti said of the couple’s 2003 Grammy Awards press conference meeting. “That picture has been in so many publications as something else, but it all started out as a joke.”
Ashanti also said that she and Nelly did not immediately go on a date — mostly because he didn’t have her number. “For the record, it took him a long time to get my number,” she added.”
Nelly and Ashanti reconnected in 2023
Rumors started to surface back in 2013 that Nelly and Ashanti were having problems and taking some time apart. By 2014, the couple’s breakup was confirmed. And suddenly, everyone’s dreams of their favorite early-2000s couple ending up together were shattered — or so people thought. Nearly a decade later, Nelly and Ashanti were married.
They first reconnected in 2021, but it wasn’t until 2023 that the two took their relationship public (it remains a little unclear whether they were dating during that time). But once they were public again, it didn’t take long for them to tie the knot.
Nelly and Ashanti confirmed their relationship in September 2023, and by December 2023, they were married. However, they kept it a secret for nearly six months, ultimately confirming the marriage in June 2024. The couple welcomed their son in July 2024.
