Did Ja Rule and Ashanti Ever Date?
In the early 2000s, Ashanti dominated the R&B charts with her hit songs like “What’s Luv” and “Foolish.” The stunning songstress was signed to Irv Gotti’s Murder, Inc. label, and her self-titled album went triple platinum, absolutely skyrocketing on the Billboard charts.
From there Ashanti was a household name, often performing with her friend and label-mate, rapper JaRule. The singer and rapper collaborated on numerous songs like, “Always On Time” and Ja Rule is often rapping or acting as a hypeman on her songs.
Since the pair had such a great deal of chemistry and often performed together at shows and on tour, fans have always speculated that they had a relationship.
Ashanti and Irv Gotti had an affair
For years, there had been speculation that Ashanti and Irv Gotti had an affair at some point early on in her career. However, after the Murder, Inc. co-founder became entangled in an FBI investigation for allegedly laundering drug money before he was acquitted, rumors of that relationship fizzled.
On an October 2019 episode of Growing Up Hip Hop: New York, Gotti, and his ex-wife, Deb Lorenzo spoke about the affair and why the record producer is no longer on good terms with many of the artists who were once signed to him.
“We were still married, but we were separated when they were dating,” Lorenzo revealed. Gotti has previously denied dating Ashanti and the singer, who is notoriously private about her personal life, has never commented on it.
Ashanti was in a long-term relationship with Nelly
In the early 2000s, Ashanti was in a long-term relationship with rapper, Nelly. Though there have been rumors about their relationship since 2003, neither of them confirmed it until 2008. The pair officially called it quits in 2014.
“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities it allows them to act out of character,” Ashanti said about their breakup in 2015 on The Meredith Vieira Show. “I’ve been betrayed. Again, you just have to grow. You have to grow up and accept responsibilities for the things that you do. I’m not a big fan of people being cowards. I think it’s really important to know yourself and understand what you want and get it. I’m in a different place right now.”
Ja Rule and Ashanti never dated
Now, amid a recent Instagram Live with Fat Joe, Ashanti is speaking about all of those rumors about herself and Ja Rule.
“It’s so crazy,” she told Fat Joe. “Our chemistry is so ill. I don’t know how to explain it. We never messed with each other it never was even a thing — it never came up. So, we could not see each other for months and we’ll be at a show together and get on stage and it would seem like we’d been together the whole day. Down to sometimes, we’d be coordinated with what we were wearing.”
Though Ashanti and JaRule never dated, the songstress has been linked to NBA star James Harden and comedian Michael Blackson in recent years, but she has never confirmed or denied any of those reports.
