Rapper Nelly performed at Rock in Rio 2026's Palco Mundo on Sunday (6), revisiting his hits alongside Ashanti, his wife. The performance marked the couple's rapprochement after nearly a decade of separation, in a love story that spanned more than two decades.
Nelly and Ashanti met in 2003 at a Grammy event, and since then, romance rumors have circulated. Although they denied dating for years, defining themselves as "good friends," the two maintained a close relationship over time.
In 2008, Ashanti publicly admitted that she was thinking about marriage to the rapper. The following year, in 2009, they released the song "Body On Me" together, with a music video that reinforced the rumors about the relationship between the artists.
Starting in 2010, news began circulating that the couple had broken up. After nearly a decade apart, Nelly and Ashanti finally managed to reconcile, and the relationship ended in marriage and children.
