By Edem Latsu Nukafu
Rap legend Nelly and his love roller coaster paramour Ashanti are purportedly expecting their first child together after relighting their intimacy earlier this year.
Following their recent patch up, nearly two decades after their first split, a source told Us Weekly that the pair are ‘welcoming their first baby together.’
While this is the 43-year-old singer’s first child, her partner, 49, shares his two adult children Chanelle, 29, and Cornell Haynes III, 24, with his ex Channetta Valentine.
The ‘Rock Wit U’ hitmaker was rumored to be pregnant during her trip to the Grammy award-winning rapper’s 11th Black and White Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis during the weekend.
During the event, she raised speculation that she may be expecting after placing her hand on her stomach, as if she was cradling a baby bump.
While she made the gesture, Nelly also touched his stomach.
After seemingly indicating they had a little one on the way to the audience, they both laughed and exchanged knowing glances.
Our reliable source reached out to the stars’ respective representatives, but has yet to comment on the issue.
Neither Nelly or Ashanti have confirmed or posted on social media about the exciting news.
In September, Nelly confirmed they were back together during an interview with Love and Hip Hop stars Rasheeda and Kirk Frost.
‘Yeah, we cool again,’ he gushed when asked if they had rekindled their romance.
The thespian proceeded: ‘I think it surprised both of us though. It wasn’t anything that I don’t think was planned.’
Nelly counted that he believes spending so long apart from one another has been helpful with their reunion because the distance allowed them to ‘understand’ each other and their relationship better.
He clarified: ‘I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more.
‘You be like, “Yo, let me see exactly what they see.” You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.’
The couple’s relationship ‘feels good now’ due to the absence of pressure from either of them.
Nelly added: ‘Before I felt like both of us were doing what we were doing before career-wise, and when you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.’
After being seen together in Las Vegas in March, Nelly and Ashanti, 42, sparked rumors of their comeback after attending Jon Schwartz’s 40th birthday party together a week later.
The ‘Happy’ vocalist and Nelly walked the stage together at Power 98.3 and 96.1’s Under the Mistletoe concert in December last year.
Ashanti confessed to being amazed by the enthusiasts who wanted the former lovers to reunite after the show.
She informed host Andy Cohen during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live: ‘My reaction was, “wow”. It was a lot of comments and a lot of people wanting that.’
Despite her hesitation about whether or not they would reunite, she acknowledged that they were in a much ‘better place than they were when they broke up’.
She added: ‘What I will say is we’re in a better place. We’re cool now. We had some conversations, so it’s cool.’
After meeting in 2003, Ashanti and Nelly, government name Cornell Haynes Jr., met up for the first time.
On several occasions, the rapper has teamed up with the R&B singer, including her 2007 single Switch and 2010’s NY Lover.
According to reports, Ashanti and Nelly broke up ten years ago because of his alleged ‘cowardly betrayal.’
The one-time Murder Inc. signee touched on their split while on The Meredith Vieira Show in 2015.
‘I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities it allows them to act out of character. I’ve been betrayed,’ quoting her exact submission at the time.
‘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.
