Ashanti and rapper Nelly was involved in a relationship that lasted 10 years and the "Foolish" singer disclosed that the relationship left her feeling "betrayed." At the 2003 Grammy Awards, rapper Nelly won his first award for Best Rap/Sung Performance, and at this same awards show he met Ashanti, the woman who would be his girlfriend for the next 10 years. Ashanti had gotten the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B, and the pair encountered one another at the press conference after the show and were instantly drawn to one another.

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In this article, we will look back at Nelly and Ashanti's top-secret decade-long relationship and why their romance was so complicated. Also, we will discuss their breakup and what exactly happened between them.

8 When They Started Dating

Even though the chemistry between them was quite apparent, the pair only began dating consistently a year later. Although they attended gala events and red carpet affairs with one another, they still tried to keep their relationship out of the public eye. Regardless of their carefulness, Ashanti and Nelly became one of the most influential music couples of the decade, racking up #1 hits and millions in record sales, and reputable awards between them.

7 Rumored Engagement

The pair was a match made in heaven for the next 9 years, and it felt out of the question that they would ever break up. There was even a rumor that the two were either engaged or going to be engaged very soon- and then came the shock of the decade.

In April 2014, it was announced that Ashanti and Nelly had broken up, but there were no clarifications as to "why." The only person who spoke out about it was Ashanti. The R&B singer stated that she felt "betrayed" and implied that there was unfaithfulness within the relationship.

6 Breakup

Theories regarding the breakup flooded headlines, however, Ashanti and Nelly were just as guarded about their breakup as they were about their ongoing 10-year relationship. There was one revealing instance soon after their breakup when one of Ashanti's fans yelled out a swear word concerning Nelly, to which the R&B singer communicated sincere agreement.

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5 Moving On

Ashanti talked about the romance and the breakup briefly and disclosed that both she and the rapper were determined to concentrate on their careers instead of their personal lives. She stated that "Nelly and I are kind of in that space where, I'm kinda like focusing on my career, he's focusing on what he's doing, you know there's a lot of things that happened this year, you know a lot of things kinda went public more than other things have gone public before, you know what I'm saying? And um, I kinda just...I have to do me. We're in that space right now and there are things that were said and things that were done that probably shouldn't have been said or done, but they have been."

4 Never Again

When she was asked in 2014 if there was potential for her and Nelly to ever reunite, Ashanti was firm in her stance that the breakup was the end of their relationship and fixing it was beyond repair. Ashanti disclosed to Andy Cohen in 2019 that the last time she saw Nelly was when they separated, she never even saw him at red carpet events. Also, she shut down the rumor that the rapper has ever owed her any money.

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3 Nellyville

While Ashanti has dated several men since her breakup with Nelly, which includes NBA star, James Harden, Nelly is in a very serious relationship with model Shantel Jackson, who he met in 2014 on the set of his reality show NellyVille. Jackson was previously involved with boxer Floyd Mayweather, and the relationship did not end well. Jackson accused Mayweather of assault and invasion of privacy, while Mayweather stated that she aborted his baby.

2 Through Thick And Thin

All through Jackson's problems, Nelly continued to support and help her. She returned the favor when the rapper was confronted with two different accusations of rape and sexual assault from fans in 2017. Nelly stated that "I would not want my life to not have Shantel in it. We've been seeing each other for five or six years. Any time you can connect with somebody like that, it works out for the long run. She's sweet, beautiful, and the more we got to know each other, she's just as beautiful inside."

1 Future For Nelly

The rapper has made it very clear that he is thinking about taking the next step in his relationship with Jackson and has disclosed that his connection with the model is "for the long run." Fans of the rapper may be excited to see the "Little Bit" singer putting a ring on it and settling down after a very long time with Jackson. Nelly has two grown children from previous relationships and is taking care of his deceased sister's two kids.

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