Ashanti’s boyfriend timeline: Who has she dated over the years?
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an award-winning American singer and actress. She is known for R&B hits such as Foolish, Rock Wit U, Down 4 U, and Body on Me. Ashanti married her long-term partner Nelly in 2023, nearly 20 years since they started dating. Explore Ashanti’s boyfriend timeline to understand her love life.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Ashanti's profile summary
- Ashanti’s boyfriend timeline
- How long did Joyner Lucas and Ashanti date?
- Did Ashanti ever date Ja Rule?
- Who is the rapper who dated Ashanti?
- How old is Ashanti?
- Who did Nelly date after Ashanti?
Key takeaways
- Ashanti is married to Nelly, an American rapper, singer, and actor, as of April 2025.
- The couple secretly wed in December 2023.
- The singer and Nelly welcomed their first child together in July 2024.
- Ashanti and Nelly began dating in 2003. They broke up and reunited a decade after parting ways.
Ashanti's profile summary
| Full name | Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 13 October 1980 |
| Age | 44 years (as of April 2025) |
| Place of birth | Glen Cove, New York, United States |
| Current residence | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 5ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Weight | 141 lb (64 kg) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (Nelly) |
| Children | 1 |
| Father | Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas |
| Mother | Tina Douglas |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Alma mater | Glen Cove High |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter, and actress |
| Ashanti's Instagram | @ashanti |
| YouTube | @ashanti |
| @Ashanti Official | |
| TikTok | @ashanti |
| X | @ashanti |
Ashanti’s boyfriend timeline
Ashanti is an entertainment bigwig, having released numerous songs and worked with top artists, including Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland, and Timberland.
Since gaining prominence in the 2000s, the singer has been in multiple relationships. Past Ashanti’s boyfriends are fellow music superstars.
Who is Ashanti in a relationship with?
The famous singer is married to Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (Nelly), an American rapper, singer, and actor.
The two first met in 2003 at a Grammy Awards press conference. They parted ways in 2013 and reunited nearly two decades after their first meeting.
Source: Original
Who is Ashanti married to now?
Singer and actress Ashanti has been married once in her lifetime as of April 2025. She is married to rapper, singer, and actor Nelly. The two secretly wed in December 2023 and welcomed their first child on 18 July 2024.
Nelly and Ashanti in the 2000s
Ashanti and the talented musician started dating in 2003 and were private about their ongoing relationship through the mid-2010s. Talking about their first meeting, Nelly and the actress said:
The first time I met Nelly he asked me for my autograph, but I think he was being sarcastic and I remember writing it down on the programme. That picture has been in so many publications as something else, but it all started out as a joke. For the record, it took him a long time to get my number.
The lovebirds dated from 2003 to 2013. After parting ways, Ashanti maintained that she and Nelly were on good terms and remained friends.
Nelly and Ashanti back together
The lovebirds unexpectedly reunited onstage in 2021. Their reunion happened during Ja Rule and Fat Joe's Verzuz battle.
Nelly and Ashanti confirmed they were back together romantically in a September interview in 2023.
Yeah, we cool again. I think it surprised both of us, though. It wasn’t anything that [was] planned. I think we’re both pretty much doing what we do.
He added:
Sometimes being separate you understand one another more.You could be like, ‘Yo, let me see exactly what they see.’ You know, because we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. And we know we wrong but we going to stand on it. But we all a victim to that.
Hours later, Ashanti acknowledged the romance on her Instagram stories. Nelly and Ashanti's relationship has been a subject of interest to many people since the two rekindled their love.
In December 2023, it was reported the lovers were expecting their first child together. It was also reported that the two had married on 27 December 2023. They welcomed a son named Kareem Kenkaide Haynes on 18 July 2024.
Kareem means generous, kind, noble, dignified, and bountiful. Ashanti talked about motherhood and said:
It's just an immense feeling. When I look in his eyes, or when I pick him up and I kiss him, it's an overwhelming feeling of love and admiration and giving. This little boy has my entire soul wrapped around his finger.
Past relationships
The talented actress has dated or been linked to some male celebrities. Here is a breakdown of her past boyfriends.
Ashanti and Joyner Lucas' relationship (2020 - 2022)
Source: Getty Images
Joyner Lucas is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter famous for songs such as Isis, Your Heart, and Devil’s Work. His relationship with Ashanti reportedly started in 2020.
Rumours about their romance came up after Joyner’s song featuring Ashanti, Fall Slowly, was released. In the song’s video, the two are seen passionately involved, making people speculate that they were in a romantic relationship.
Singer Joyner Lucas confirmed he dated the songstress for about two years. He gravitated to her because he felt that older women understood things the younger ones failed to. He added:
It was dope. She’s a really dope person, she really is. She’s an amazing person... I don’t talk about it. But what I will say is that she’s an amazing person and [I’m] super happy for her. She’s about to have a baby. I know how much she wanted to be a mom.
James Harden (2016 - 2018)
Source: Getty Images
James Edward Harden Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
James and Ashanti’s romantic relationship supposedly started in 2016 after the singer was spotted accompanying Harden to multiple events, including hanging out with his family. However, the said relationship did not last long. It ended in 2018.
Darnell Dockett (2015 - 2016)
Source: Getty Images
Darnell Maurice Dockett is an American football player who was romantically linked to the R&B singer between 2015 and 2016. Their relationship is said to have started in February 2015, and they called it quits in January 2016.
A tweet from Ashanti to Darnell, who was celebrating his birthday, appeared to confirm their relationship. Despite the rumours, neither Ashanti nor Darnell confirmed whether they were dating.
DeSean Jackson (2013 - 2015)
Source: Getty Images
DeSean William Jackson is an American college football coach. He is a former player who is the head football coach at Delaware State University.
Dating rumours about DeSean Jackson and Ashanti's relationship emerged when he celebrated his 27th birthday with the singer and shared the pictures on his Instagram page.
When asked about dating DeSean Jackson during an interview with the Breakfast Club, the singer denied it but admitted to attending a match event with him.
Andre Parker (2003 - 2005)
Rapper Andre Parker reportedly had a romantic relationship with singer Ashanti between 2003 and 2005. At the time, Santana was also in a relationship with singer Keyshia Cole, and Ashanti was dating rapper Nelly. The affair allegedly caused Ashanti and Nelly’s break up.
Irv Gotti (2001 - 2004)
Ashanti was allegedly in a relationship with the CEO and co-founder of record label Murder Inc., Irv Gotti. The dating rumours sparked when the record label produced top R&B hits.
However, the singer has denied ever dating the music producer and insisted they only had a working relationship. On the other hand, Irv Gotti claimed that he had a brief relationship with the singer.
How long did Joyner Lucas and Ashanti date?
Joyner Lucas and Ashanti dated for about two years. The former lovers were in a relationship between 2020 and 2022.
Did Ashanti ever date Ja Rule?
The American songstress and Ja Rule did not date. Acknowledging fan theories that she had been in a relationship with Ja Rule, Ashanti said:
Our chemistry was so ill. We never messed with each other like it never was even a thing. It's crazy to have that kind of chemistry with someone you're not in a relationship with.
Who is the rapper who dated Ashanti?
Ashanti has dated a couple of rappers, including her now-husband Nelly, Andre Parker, and Joyner Lucas.
How old is Ashanti?
Many people are curious about Nelly and Ashanti's ages. Ashanti's age is 44 years as of April 2025. She was born on 13 October 1980, and her Zodiac sign is Libra. On the other hand, Nelly's age is 50 years as of April 2025. He was born on 2 November 1974, and his Zodiac sign is Scorpio.
Who did Nelly date after Ashanti?
After breaking up with Ashanti in 2013, Belly dated Lashontae Heckard and Shantel Jackson.
Ashanti’s boyfriend timeline is interesting, especially because she dated and married one of her exes. Since gaining fame, the singer has been romantically linked to multiple high-profile personalities. She is married to Nelly.
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Source: Legit.ng
Muhunya Muhonji (Lifestyle writer) Muhunya is a graduate of Agricultural Economics from Egerton University, Class of 2014, with a passion for storytelling and content creation. Since joining Legit.ng as a writer in July 2021, he has covered diverse topics such as entertainment, technology, business, and biographies. His journalism journey has seen him complete multiple professional courses, including the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (2023), the Google News Initiative course (March 2024), and Fact-Checking and Research training (September 2024). Email: muhunyah@gmail.com
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
