Fans say Ashanti and Nelly have reportedly “sealed the deal” on their rekindled romance after a video of the rapper caressing his girlfriend’s belly went viral online.
The “Body on Me” collaborators recently attended Nelly’s 11th “Black and White Ball” in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, Dec. 3. This star-studded event soon became the talk of the town once a short recording showed Nelly rubbing Ashanti’s stomach on stage in front of a large crowd of attendees.
In the video, Ashanti, 43, can be seen wearing a black cut-out dress while Nelly sported an all-black suit. The “Dilemma” MC can be heard telling the crowd, “It’s almost that time; that’s what I’m talking about.”
While it wasn’t directly specified what “time” it was, his statement prompted Ashanti to place both of her hands on her stomach. Nelly, 49, joined in rubbing her belly as he instructed everyone in the room to say, “Seal the deal.”
Their playful interaction quickly sparked chatter online from hardcore Nelly and Ashanti supporters who urged the pair to finally settle down and get married.
A few comments underneath The Shade Room’s repost even deemed this as their official pregnancy announcement.
One person wrote, “She gotta be pregnant, otherwise both of them touching her stomach is weird lol.” Another handler penned, “Ashanti said sometime last year she was ready to get married & have kids, then a few months later her & Nelly popped back up together! Congrats, if it’s true!!”
There was a third person who voiced, “I def feel like this is a pregnancy announcement.”
In a separate video shared on TikTok, “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta” alum Rasheeda Frost can be seen speaking to fans seemingly about Nelly and Ashanti’s gesture. While a portion of their conversation was inaudible, someone is heard saying, “You know, you already know,” while she flipped her hair, and walked away as Frost smirked.
“Did rasheeda spill the tea without spilling the tea,” was written overtop of the video.
While it’s unclear if Rasheeda spilled any “tea,” it is true that Ashanti and Nelly seemingly got back together earlier this year in May after months of fans’ speculation. Many noticed how flirtatious the two have been during recent performances.
However, Nelly confirmed that he and the “Happy” singer were an item again while speaking on her podcast, “Boss Moves with Rasheeda.”
“Sometimes being separate, you understand one another more,” he shared during the conversation, suggesting that time healed old wounds between him and R&B’s pop princess.
Ashanti confirmed they got back together after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in September, wearing a clutch purse that featured a photo of her and Nelly together.
The “Country Grammar” rapper and Ashanti have given their relationship another try 10 years after their initial breakup in 2013. Fans have enjoyed watching them shower each other with love in several videos from social media, including footage of Ashanti gifting her longtime lover an old-school car for his birthday last month.
While neither party has addressed the rumors, US Weekly exclusively reported that the hearsay of a possible pregnancy was true.
“Nelly and Ashanti are welcoming their first baby together,” a source purportedly told the outlet.
If the news is true, this will be the “Foolish” singer’s first child and Nelly’s third. He already has a 29-year-old daughter, Chanelle, and a 24-year-old son, Cornell Hayes III, with ex-girlfriend Channetta Valentine.
