Nelly and Ashanti reveal they once ‘hated each other before rekindling their romance

Nelly and Ashanti shed light on their journey ahead of their upcoming reality TV series “Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together.”

Ashanti and Nelly may be couple goals now, but things were definitely different between the two before the pair got back together.

In the trailer for their upcoming reality series on Peacock, “Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together,” released Thursday, June 12, the couple opens up about their journey together, which began in 2003 before they picked things back up for good in 2023.

However, before they got back together, secretly tied the knot in December 2023, and welcomed their first child, a son, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, in July 2024, the 50-year-old rapper and the 44-year-old singer “hated” each other.

“We were together off and on for 11 years, before the final [sic]…” Ashanti began in the clip.

“I hated her,” Nelly chimed in.

“I hated him,” Ashanti quipped back while laughing. “I didn’t think that we would get back together.”

With a grin, Nelly said, “She got me y’all,” to which Ashanti exclaimed, “He wanted to get got.”

The trailer then teases the rollercoaster romance marked by drama and tense fights over topics like where to live, before giving us a taste of a slightly sweeter side as the newlyweds navigate parenthood, balancing their careers, luxury lifestyle, and all that comes with a second shot at happily ever after. 

“It’s not perfect, but we’re going to work our way through it,” Nelly said.

“Till death do us part,” Ashanti added. 

Nelly and Ashanti were first romantically linked in 2003, when they were both nominated for the 45th Grammy Awards that year. The celebrity couple dated on and off for 11 years, appearing side by side often during some of the culture’s most significant moments and biggest red carpets before they thought they had called it quits for good. 

In 2021, Nelly and Ashanti reunited for the first time publicly while attending the “Verzuz” rap battle between Ja Rule and Fat Joe. The following year, the two performers surprised fans when they took to the stage together to perform “Body On Me” at an “Under the Mistletoe” concert. By April 2023, rumors of a full-blown rekindling between the two had begun after they were spotted together more and more.  

After they performed “Body On Me” together, Ashanti told TV personality Andy Cohen during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” how surprised she was by the fan response and in particular, their support of their getting back together.  

“My reaction was ‘wow.’ It was a lot of comments and a lot of people wanting that,” she said.

“Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together,” which the couple executive produce, officially drops on Peacock on Thursday, June 26.