Nelly Says He Married Ashanti As a result of He ‘Didn’t Need Her to Be a Child Mama’

Nelly had one essential purpose for marrying Ashanti.

Three months after their one-year marriage ceremony anniversary, the rapper, 50, shared throughout an look on The Bootleg Kev Podcast why he needed to marry the R&B singer, 44, as quickly as they came upon she was pregnant.

In line with Nelly, once they realized the information, they hadn’t talked about marriage. Nonetheless, after seeing how their relationship was going, he knew it was one thing he needed to do.

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“I used to be like, ‘Yo, you understand what? Let’s simply knock this out as a result of we’re going to be doing a lot and all the pieces’s shifting so quick.’ I didn’t need her to be a child mama, you understand what I imply?” stated Nelly. “As a result of we already knew the place we have been in life. If we’re again like this, this have to be what it’s speculated to be.”

In line with courtroom paperwork obtained by PEOPLE, he and Ashanti tied the knot on Dec. 27, 2023. Nonetheless, the information wasn’t confirmed till months later, in June 2024. The couple tied the knot three months after they confirmed they have been relationship once more in September 2023.

Earlier than confirming their marriage, Ashanti revealed that she and Nelly have been anticipating their first youngster collectively throughout an April 2024 interview with Essence.

In August 2024, a rep for the couple advised PEOPLE that their child, Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, referred to as KK, was born on July 18, 2024.

Final November, Ashanti advised PEOPLE that having KK of their lives was “superb.”

“He is a blessing. He is an angel. My life is superb proper now. I am tremendous blessed, so pleased. I am insanely in love with him,” she stated on the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala in Los Angeles.

Most not too long ago, Ashanti was available on the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards to current her husband with the Landmark Award, which honors “artists whose album releases have impressed and formed tradition over a number of many years,” per a press launch.

Throughout his look on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, Nelly confirmed that having Ashanti give him the award was a whole shock, as he initially thought she was leaving his dressing room to return to her seat.

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“I am backstage, and I bought you understand my in ears, and I am like, ‘I do know that voice,’ after which I look to the display screen and I am like, ‘wow.’ It was dope, man. It was dope,” stated Nelly. “That is my child, man. She did her factor.”