Season 29 Alum & Girlfriend Announce Pregnancy & Surprise Engagement

Season 29 “Dancing With the Stars” alum, Nelly, 49, is expecting a child with girlfriend, er, fiancee, Ashanti, 43, nearly three years after they rekindled their romance.

According to Essence, the two are not only having a baby together, but they are engaged.

“Baby baby baby baby,” Ashanti captioned an Instagram post on April 17. The reveal came months after speculation that the “Foolish” singer was with child.

Rumors about a baby on board began circulating after TMZ uploaded photos from the 11th Black and White Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis in which Ashanti appeared to have a baby bump. At one point at the event, she placed her hands on her stomach and Nelly followed suit. Fans immediately took this as an unofficial pregnancy announcement.

Ashanti’s Instagram post is the first time that she has confirmed that she’s pregnant with her first child. Nelly has two grown children from a previous relationship.

Nelly and Ashanti first started dating in 2003. They split about 10 years later, per People magazine, but reunited in 2021.

Here’s what you need to know:

Fans Reacted to the News on Social Media

Ashanti made her announcement in conjunction with Essence. Her Instagram video was an ad for Proov, an at-home fertility and hormone marker test. In said video, Ashanti was getting ready for a show. When asked how long she needed, she replied, “about nine months” and held the pregnancy test up.

Fans of Nelly and Ashanti are super excited to hear that the two are expecting their first child together.

“We all knew but it hits different when it’s confirmed. Congratulations Ashanti & @nelly,” one person wrote.

“I love the way she announced this in her own way on her on time us fans already knew it but to hear it from the queen herself is everything!!!! We love you shan!!!! OMG!!! Im so happy for you and @nelly GOD’S TIMING IS ALWAYS AMAZING,” someone else added.

“Do I keep watching this over and over again, yes yes I do,” a third comment read.

“Congratulations fav!!! Omg! I’m so happy for you,” a fourth Instagram user said.

Fans Noticed That Ashanti Was Hiding Her Apparent Baby Bump

In early April, Ashanti shared some photos alongside Nelly in which she was wearing an oversized Balenciaga jersey dress. Dozens of fans commented on the post, talking about Ashanti apparently hiding her pregnancy with the bulky fit.

“The next pictures I wanna see are MATERNITY,” one person wrote.

“So we wearing oversized shirts the whole pregnancy orrr,” another Instagram user wondered.

“So you just going to keep wearing those shirt dresses til you give birth @ashanti @nelly,” a third comment read.

Now, however, it’s all out in the open.

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation. Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience,” Ashanti told Essence.

READ NEXT: DWTS Alum’s Sudden Divorce Gets Ugly

Effie Orfanides has more than two decades of experience in entertainment journalism. She has been a contributor with Heavy since 2017 covering entertainment news. Effie is based in Tampa, Florida. More about Effie Orfanides