ET has learned that Nelly, 49, threw Ashanti, 43, an intimate surprise baby shower at the Dolce & Gabbana children's boutique in NYC on Sunday. The celebration included a host of their family and famous friends, including Fat Joe and Breland.
The sweet moment when the rapper surprised his wife was captured in a video shared via Instagram. As the elevator opens, the couple are met with their family and friends holding up a phone and saying, "Surprise!" Ashanti is visibly shocked as she reacts in the elevator, while Nelly looks on.
Nelly threw Ashanti a surprise baby shower in honor of their first child.
Fat Joe took to Instagram to share a picture of him with the couple.
"Today we had a Baby Shower, i love you my sister I'm sooooooo happy for yall guys GOD IS GREAT @ashanti @nelly @lolamilan1," the "What's Love" rapper, 53, wrote.
In the picture, Fat Joe and his wife, Lorena Cartagena, pose with Nelly and Ashanti around a host of yellow and white decor.
For the occasion, Nelly wore an all-black outfit, while the mommy-to-be showed off her baby bump in a Dolce & Gabbana two-piece set.
In another video shared on Instagram, Nelly takes the mic and talks about the moment he and Ashanti reconnected and had a viral moment during Fat Joe and Ja Rule's Verzuz's battle -- after the made his way across the stage to give her a hug to "break the ice."
Nelly and Ashanti revealed that they were expecting their first child together in April. The same month, the couple -- who rekindled their romance in 2023 -- also shared the news of their engagement.
As if things couldn't get bigger for the couple, earlier this month ET learned that Nelly and Ashanti got married in 2023. According to records, the pair obtained their marriage license in the "Country Grammar" rapper's home state of Missouri.
Earlier this month, ET spoke with Ashanti (who was mum on her marriage status) at her maternity shoot, where she gushed about the moment she told Nelly the pregnancy news.
"He was so happy and we were both smiling and it was so funny," Ashanti said of Nelly's reaction to their big news via FaceTime. "I was actually at his mom's house... He was in the studio. It was a really cool moment. It was a little bit of everything."
The "Hot in Herre" rapper is the father of adult children Chanelle, 29, and Cornell Haynes III, 24, from a previous relationship. Nelly also adopted his sister, Jackie Donahue's, kids -- Shawn and Sydney Thomas -- after she died from leukemia in 2005.
Ashanti added that she knows that Nelly is going to be an amazing father to their child.
"I think he's going to be amazing, he's so good with his kids. When they have a chance to spend time together, he makes it count," she said to ET. "They have all had to make sacrifices because of [his] career and the traveling and them growing up, you know. But when they are together it's the best thing in the world to watch."
For her part, the "Baby" singer is ready to meet her little one.
"I'm excited about seeing this little human version of myself and the person that I love so much be here," the singer gushed. "I'm really looking forward to having an extension of both of us, be with us, and watching that spirit grow. It's an amazing thing."
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