Nelly and Ashanti maybe expecting second child after secretly marrying in December 2023

Nelly and Ashanti are celebrating exciting news as they are reportedly expecting their second child together. Sources close to the couple revealed to The Jasmine Brand that the pair, who secretly tied the knot in December 2023, are adding to their family after welcoming their first child, a son named Kareem Kenkaide Hayne, in July 2024.

While representatives for Nelly and Ashanti did not immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment, the couple has kept their personal life largely private, with insiders sharing the news of their growing family. Ashanti, known for her hit song "Foolish," had previously opened up about the emotional experience of becoming a mother for the first time, describing it as both spiritual and electrifying during an interview with Entertainment Tonight after giving birth to Kareem.

Nelly, 50, and Ashanti, 44, have had a long history together, having met in 2003 at a Grammy Awards press conference. They worked together on several projects over the years, including the 2008 track "Body on Me" and their more recent collaboration, “This Lil’ Game We Play,” released in 2024. The couple dated for a decade before parting ways in 2013 but reunited in 2023, publicly rekindling their romance during a boxing match in Las Vegas.

Their relationship has been on a positive trajectory ever since, culminating in their secret wedding in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 27, 2023. The couple’s commitment to one another was evident as Nelly had shared in interviews that their separation had given them a better understanding of one another, which ultimately led to their successful reconciliation.