Ashanti, an eight-time Grammy Award nominee who won best contemporary R&B album for her self-titled disc in 2003, made the announcement in a video shared to her Instagram account on Wednesday.
In the video, Ashanti, 43, is preparing for a performance, Entertainment Tonight reported. When her mother, Tina Douglas, asks how much time she needs, the singer responds, “Uh, I’m gonna need about nine months.”
Ashanti, whose full name is Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, confirmed her pregnancy with the “Hot In Herre” rapper in an interview with Essence magazine on Wednesday. A representative for Nelly, 49, a three-time Grammy Award winner who has been nominated 12 times, also confirmed the news to USA Today.
Ashanti also said the couple are engaged, People reported.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” Ashanti told Essence. “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.”
The child will be Ashanti’s first and Nelly’s third, according to Entertainment Tonight. The rapper, born Cornell Haynes Jr. is the father of two adult children -- Chanell Haynes, 30, and Cornell Haynes III, 25, according to the entertainment news outlet.
He also adopted his sister’s two children Shawn and Sydney Thomas, after his sister, Jackie Donahue’s died from leukemia in 2005.
Ashanti and Nelly rekindled their relationship last year, Entertainment Tonight reported. The couple had dated sporadically for a decade before officially splitting in 2013.
Nelly confirmed in September that he was back together with the R&B singer when he appeared on the Boss Moves with Rasheeda show, saying it “surprised both of us.”
“It wasn’t anything that we planned. We both were pretty much doing what we do,” Nelly said. “But sometimes, being separate, you understand one another more. You could be like, ‘Well yo, let me exactly see maybe what they see.’ We all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it, you know what I mean? But we all a victim to that.”
“We’re in a great space,” Ashanti told People in September. “Everything is positive; we’re having a lot of fun.”
Photos: Ashanti through the years Here are some memorable photos of singer Ashanti through the years. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2002: Ashanti receives the 2002 Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year from Patti LaBelle at the eighth annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, August 24, 2002. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2003: Singer Ashanti performs during the 31st annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on November 16, 2003, in Los Angeles. (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2004: Singer Ashanti arrives at the 46th annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2005: Singer Ashanti arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2005 on May 29, 2005, in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. (Junko Kimura/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2006: Nelly and Ashanti pose at the Black and White Ball hosted by Nelly on July 2, 2006, in St. Louis. (Frank Di Piazza/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2007: Ashanti poses backstage at the seventh annual BET Awards on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2008: Singer Ashanti arrives at the third annual Loveday celebration and Cartier Love Charity Bracelet launch held at a private residence on June 18, 2008, in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2009: Recording artisits Ja Rule (left) and Ashanti perform onstage at the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on September 23, 2009, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2010: Singer Ashanti arrives at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010, in Los Angeles. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2011: Singer Ashanti arrives at the BET Awards '11 held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2012: Nelly and Ashanti attend the sixth annual DKMS Linked Against Blood Cancer gala at Cipriani Wall Street on April 26, 2012, in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2013: Ashanti attends the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 25, 2013, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2014: Singer Ashanti attends the BET Awards '14 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2015: Singer Ashanti attends the 57th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2016: Singer Ashanti attends the VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens at David Geffen Hall on July 11, 2016, in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for VH1)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2017: Singer Ashanti arrives for the NFLPA President's Party at the Revention Center on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, in Houston. (Bob Levey/AP Images for NFLPA)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2018: Recording artist Ashanti attends the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2019: Ashanti attends the 61st annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2021: Ashanti attends the 2021 Soul Train Awards Presented By BET at the Apollo Theater on November 20, 2021, in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Photos: Ashanti through the years 2021: Ja Rule (left) and Ashanti perform onstage during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2022 Celebration on December 31, 2021, in New York City. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)