Ashanti and Nelly appear to be happier than ever.
The couple spoke to Entertainment Tonight’s Deidre Behar Wellman at a lavish, gold-themed 50th birthday bash thrown by Ashanti at Tao in Las Vegas. Guests included family, Anderson .Paak, Kandi Burruss, and a surprise appearance from friend Kevin Hart.
While speaking to ET, Nelly joked that turning 50 feels like turning 49, but feels great. He shared his admiration for wife Ashanti, who, in turn, calls him her “soulmate.”
“It's priceless, honestly, just to have my soulmate, like my person, like my best friend, like my protector,” Ashanti said at the 47 second mark in the video linked above. “The universe doesn't make mistakes.”
“I don't tell him all the time, but I've learned a lot about… just being grateful, graceful, and giving people grace. Being open minded and level headed and not too emotional,” said the 44-year-old “Foolish” singer in a separate clip shared to ET’s Instagram account.
“She’s a great person, she’s a great mother. Even when it comes to doing this—having birthday parties and things like that,” said the “Hot In Herre” rapper. “So to have that person with you, it's like, ‘yeah, that's it,’”
The couple confirmed they rekindled their relationship last September after nearly a decade apart and quietly married three months later. They welcomed their first child together, a son named Kareem, in July.
Further into the interview, Nelly quipped about the challenges of diaper changes.
“He's a boy and you know, I've had boys, but you're changing them. You have to duck and I've been peed on so much,” Nelly said with a laugh. “I can't wait to show him some of the pictures and the videos. Like, ‘look at what your mom was doing to you.’ She treats him like a Build-A-Bear.”
Ashanti is also working on new music and a film, No Address, set to premiere in February 2025. Meanwhile, Nelly is preparing to relaunch his “Apple Bottoms” line of jeans.
Last month, Ashanti received high praise from her friend and fellow artist Fat Joe, who commended her on her approach to motherhood. Joe has proudly taken on the role of "Uncle Joe" for Ashanti and Nelly’s new son, Kareem. Ahead of the 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards, which he hosted, Fat Joe told People that Ashanti is "the best mom in the world."
