Ashanti and Nelly are engaged and pregnant

Ashanti and Nelly are engaged and pregnant

Congratulations to singer Ashanti and rapper Nelly.

The reunited couple have revealed both their pregnancy and their engagement. They shared the news exclusively with Essence magazine, which posted Wednesday’s announcement on social media.

“This new year in my life has been a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti, 43, said in a statement to the publication. “Motherhood is something I look forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé, and loyal fans, who have supported my career, has been an amazing experience.”

Ashanti took to the news on her self-verified Instagram account, with a video showing her getting ready for the show.

When her mother and manager Tina Y. Douglas asked her how much time she needed in the clip, Ashanti quipped, “I’ll need about nine months” as her mother gasped and the screen went to the logo for Proov, a fertility test in home and hormone markers.

In a statement to CNN, the singer said, “As you know, I’m very close to my mom and dad, so I’m looking forward to being an amazing parent to our son, like they are to me and my sister. Nelly and I are so excited to welcome and love Baby Haynes.” (Nelly’s real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.)

Ashanti and Nelly, 49, confirmed in September that they were reuniting as a couple, 20 years after they were first linked together in a relationship that ended after a decade.

Ashanti attended the MTV VMA Awards around that time, where Nelly was the scheduled performer. He carried a clutch with a picture of him and Nelly when they attended an award ceremony together in 2003.

During an interview with E! News at the event, Ashanti said she thought the bag was “cute” and was asked if she and the “Hot in Here” star were in a relationship again.

After a few laughs, she sheepishly replied with, “I mean…yeah.”

Nelly also came clean during an appearance with “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” stars Rasheeda and Kirk Frost on the show “Boss Moves with Rasheeda” last fall.

“We’re cold again,” said Nelly. “I think it surprised both of us. It wasn’t anything planned.”