Ever since Ashanti and Nelly reportedly rekindled their romance last spring, fans haven’t been able to get enough of the cute couple, which rumors of a pregnancy swirling just eight months later — which Ashanti eventually confirmed. And hey, wouldn’t you know it, nine months after that, here we are: Ashanti has announced the birth of the couple’s first child together, Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, on Instagram. That makes Ashanti’s first and Nelly’s sixth.
In the post, Ashanti wrote: “Funny how life’s plans aren’t…always on time.. lol. I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings! This is what postpartum looks like… I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.” People also got a statement from a rep, which read, “Ashanti and Nelly welcomed their baby boy, Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, on July 18, 2024. The proud and happy parents are so in love with KK!” That means baby Kareem is a month old, but it makes sense that the couple would take time to adjust to parenthood before making an official announcement.
The whirlwind romance not only brought a new baby, but also marriage; in June, it was reported that the couple had privately gotten married, although they hadn’t had an official ceremony yet.