US rapper Nelly and singer Ashanti back together decade after splitting
Popular American rapper, Nelly has confirmed that he is back with singer, Ashanti 10 years after they broke up.
The two stars were reported to have reconciled earlier this year, a decade after they first ended their relationship.
The Hot In Herre hitmaker has now confirmed that they are dating again, insisting getting back together hadn’t been ‘planned’ by either of them.
During an interview with Love and Hip Hop stars Rasheeda and Kirk Frost, Nelly confirmed their rekindled romance: ‘Yeah, we cool again,’ he said.
‘I think it surprised both of us though. It wasn’t anything that I don’t think was planned.’
The 48-year-old star believes spending so long apart from one another has been helpful with their reunion because the distance allowed them to ‘understand’ each other and their relationship better.
He explained: ‘I think we both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes being separate you understand one another more.
‘You be like, “Yo, let me see exactly what they see.” You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.’
The couple’s relationship ‘feels good now’ because there is ‘no pressure’ on either of them.
Nelly added: ‘Before I felt like both of us were doing what we were doing before career-wise, and when you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.’
Nelly and Ashanti, 42, sparked rumours they were back together after being spotted in Las Vegas in March, and a week later they attended a 40th birthday party for businessman Jon Schwartz together.
In December last year, the Foolish singer appeared on stage with Nelly during Power 98.3 and 96.1’s Under the Mistletoe concert.
Following the show, Ashanti admitted she was surprised by the response from fans wanting the former flames to get back together.
Appearing on Watch What Happens Live, she told host Andy Cohen: ‘My reaction was, “wow”. It was a lot of comments and a lot of people wanting that.’
She added: ‘What I will say is we’re in a better place… We’re cool now. We had some conversations, so it’s cool.’
Ashanti and Nelly, real name Cornell Haynes Jr., first got together after meeting in 2003.
The rap star has collaborated with the R&B star on various occasions, including her 2007 track Switch and 2010’s NY Lover.