In a recent Instagram Live session, Shantel Jackson, also known as Miss Jackson, opened up about her 2021 breakup with rapper Nelly, shedding light on the end of their seven-year relationship.
Many wondered why she is talking about it now, given that her ex is allegedly married and expecting a child soon with Ashanti.
For Jackson, who was once linked to Floyd Mayweather, she wanted to clear the air and quash any “make-believe” stories.
Appearing fresh-faced with a pink terry cloth headband, she told her followers about the split.
“I left,” Jackson began before emphasizing she was the one who pulled the plug on the relationship, “I LEFT because I wanted initially, I guess, space to see … maybe … will the space bring us back together, or do I need this space because I just need to rip off that band-aid.”
Jackson says that the space ended up being necessary to “rip that band-aid off.” She goes on to clarify that, despite the split, there’s “no ill-will, nothing bad” between her and the “Hot In Herre” rapper.
“Sometimes people don’t work out. People grow apart,” Jackson added. “Like, sometimes one person might want to still be in the situation, and the other person is like, this isn’t working. It happens, you know?”
While Jackson emphasized there was no dramatic reason for their split, social media users were quick to question her motives for discussing the breakup now, especially given Nelly’s current marriage to Grammy-winning artist Ashanti.
Onsite! posted a clip of the stream on its Instagram profile and fans chimed in, suggesting that she get over the St. Louis emcee.
One Instagram user commented, “Okay let’s just Move On and Quit talking about it. It’s 2024, NELLY and ASHANTI Are SOLID and Married. Time has Passed and NELLY has a New Beginning, so anything else is irrelevant at this point.” Another added, “You left space for Nelly to spend the block on Ashanti you did that mam.”
Someone else chimed in, “We do not care. He’s married with a baby on the way. Let it go! With love.”
A fourth comment chastised, “CORNYYYYY Did she at least end this unnecessary conversation with a congratulations to him and his current relationship? Cause it’s definitely giving desperate and in need of attention urghhhh.”
The reactions weren’t all harsh.
Some offered Jackson advice on moving forward. “It doesn’t matter who left, sometimes people come in your life for a season and once that season is up it’s time to move on,” one user wrote. “He made Ashanti a WIFE and they have a baby on the way. Heal, Grow and Glow.”
Ashanti, 43, and Nelly, 49, rekindled their romance a decade after their initial split in 2013. During their time apart Nelly got into a relationship with Jackson.
The reunited couple, who first started dating in 2003, have since moved forward full steam ahead, announcing their first child together. Fans as well as their celebrity friends have rallied around the two, who are proving that sometimes love is better the second time around.
ET recently revealed that Nelly and Ashanti quietly married in December 2023.
This isn’t the first time Jackson has spoken about her breakup with Nelly. During a 2021 appearance on the talk show “The Real,” she described the split as mutual and amicable, noting they “didn’t end on bad terms.”
Jackson’s decision to revisit the breakup has left many wondering about her intentions, with some speculating that she is trying to divert attention from Nelly and Ashanti’s joyous news.
But Nelly and Ashanti aren’t tripping. As they prepare to welcome their first child, it’s clear that they have both moved on from past relationships. Fans are hoping that Jackson can move on, too.
