Ashanti and rapper Nelly have become proud parents to their first child, a baby boy named Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, who arrived on July 18, 2024.
The couple reportedly married in a secret ceremony late last year, around the time Ashanti revealed her pregnancy. According to the paperwork, the wedding took place in St. Louis County, Missouri, which is Nelly’s hometown.
The couple’s relationship timeline has been marked by a series of milestones.
Ashanti and Nelly’s love story has been one for the ages, filled with ups and downs, breakups, and makeup. The pair started dating in the early 2000s and broke up a decade later. They spent another decade apart before reuniting in September 2023.
The two artists first met in 2003 at an event to announce Grammy Award nominations. In a VH1 Behind the Music special, Ashanti recalled their first meeting.
“The first time I met Nelly, he asked me for my autograph, but I think he was being sarcastic, and I remember writing it down on the program,” the “Foolish” singer said. “That picture has been in so many publications as something else, but it all started as a joke. For the record, it took him a long time to get my number.”
In late 2023, Ashanti announced her pregnancy, and it was later revealed that the couple had secretly married in Missouri around the same time.
One month after welcoming her first child with husband Nelly, the “Foolish” singer opened up about her postpartum emotions.
“This is what postpartum looks like,” Ashanti wrote in an Aug. 21 Instagram post announcing the arrival of her little one.
“Funny how life’s plans aren’t…always on time.. lol. I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now, but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings! This is what postpartum looks like I’m loving these super cozy @fridamom shorts! I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, boy.”
Along with the caption, the 43-year-old posted a video of herself wearing Frida Mom’s postpartum knickers and a floor-length silk robe. In the video, she pans over her figure before saying, “Four weeks postpartum—you have no idea what this body can do.”
But now that they have a new family addition, Ashanti is enjoying every moment of motherhood.
