Ashanti Announces She’s Pregnant and Engaged to Nelly

Ashanti and Nelly are taking a new ride that will change their lives.

Seven months after the couple confirmed they had rekindled their romance, the “Rock wit U” singer shared she is pregnant with her and Nelly’s first baby and they are engaged.

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti, 43, told Essence in a statement April 16. “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.”

She also shared the pregnancy news on Instagram with a video showing her preparing for a performance. When asked how much time she needs, she declared, “I’m gonna need about nine months.”

While couple’s baby will be Ashanti’s first child, Nelly, 49, is a father of four—he shares daughter Chanelle, 30, and son Cornell Haynes III, 25, with ex Channetta Valentine and adopted Shawn and Sydney Thomas, his sister Jackie Donahue‘s kids, after she died of cancer in 2005, Essence reported.