Nelly and Ashanti Had 2 Words for Anyone Who Questioned Their Private Relationship in the Early 2000s: ‘People Don’t Understand’

Rapper Nelly and R&B singer Ashanti were one of music’s most talked-about couples in the early 2000s. But the funny thing was the two did everything they could to keep their relationship quiet — right down to pretty much denying it for almost a decade. Of course, it was no secret that Nelly and Ashanti were in love (and they have since reunited, married, and welcomed a baby), but these two had just two words for anyone who kept trying to pry information out of them about what was really going on in their relationship all those years ago.

Nelly and Ashanti used 2 words to describe themselves in interviews: ‘Good friends’

The rapper and singer first met at a Grammy Awards press conference back in 2003. They hit it off quickly, but they weren’t anything right away. In fact, Ashanti later joked in 2011 that it took Nelly a “long time to get my number.” Still, within about a year, the public realized they were dating.  But these two kept things as quiet as possible. Rather than be open about their relationship, Nelly and Ashanti would often just refer to themselves as “good friends” in an effort to keep their lives and relationship as low-key and private as possible.

“Me and Nelly, we’re good friends. We kick it — hang out a lot,” Ashanti told People back in 2008. “The industry is very hard, so it’s good to have fun and lighten it up.”

Nelly used the same verbiage in 2010 when he was talking about his relationship with Ashanti in an interview with RapUp TV. “We’re really good friends,” he said. “I think that’s the thing that people don’t understand, and I say that because … Society puts a pressure on you because they want to see a certain kind of relationship.” He added that he only wanted to marry one person and would do so when he was ready.

Nelly and Ashanti tied the knot in 2023

The couple officially broke up in 2013 but kept it pretty quiet even into 2014. Then, seven years later, they reconnected at an event with Ja Rule and Fat Joe, and things changed from there. After spending so long apart, they realized they were right for each other, and once again, a secret relationship bloomed. The couple confirmed their relationship in September 2023, and by December 2023, they were married. They revealed their wedding a whopping six months later, so it’s clear these two prefer their privacy.

The term “good friends” was clearly a keyword for lovers, but these two felt it was important to let the public in on as little of their relationship as possible. Evidently, it all worked out for them.