“Happy Birthday to my forever favorite,” wrote Nelly on Instagram alongside a sweet selfie with Ashanti

NEED TO KNOW

• Ashanti marked her 46th birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 13
• Nelly celebrated the occasion with a sweet Instagram post
• “Out of everything I ever chased, you the one thing I’d never stop choosing,” said the “Hot in Herre” rapper

Nelly is celebrating Ashanti’s latest trip around the sun!

The “Hot in Herre” rapper, 51, took to Instagram on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to mark his wife Ashanti’s 46th birthday by sharing a sweet outdoor selfie and heartfelt caption about their bond.

“Happy Birthday to my forever favorite,” began Nelly’s caption.

“I done had a lot of wins in this life, but ain’t no flex bigger than having you by my side,” he wrote. “Out of everything I ever chased, you the one thing I’d never stop choosing. Love you for life, mama.”

View this post on Instagram

The two musicians first met and began dating in 2003 before splitting a decade later. They spent another decade apart before reuniting in September 2023 and quietly marrying in December of the same year. They welcomed son KK, whose full name is Kareem Kenkaide Hayes, in July 2024.

In a 2025 interview with PEOPLE, Nelly and Ashanti spoke about what keeps their relationship going strong more than 20 years after they initially met.

“Just try to do the right thing with one another, man,” said Nelly at the time. “You definitely want to listen, definitely want to hear people. I think if you can bear it down to the facts, sometimes the facts may not be in your favor. And that’s a hard thing to find a foundation about.”

At the time, the “Ride wit Me” performer continued, “It is like, ‘Yo, okay, well, this is not making me look good.’ But I’m willing to say, ‘You’re right about that, but this is how that made me feel.’ And you got to be able to take the good with the bad in that conversation.”

Ashanti agreed. “Communication is extremely important, especially with us traveling,” said the “Baby” singer. “Sometimes, he’s on the other side of the world. And sometimes, I’m on the other side of the world. So, communicating is really important.”

The couple has collaborated on multiple songs in the past, including 2008’s “Body on Me” with Akon and 2024’s “This Lil’ Game We Play” with Jermaine Dupri and Juicy J.

Nelly and Ashanti let fans into their lives on the Peacock reality series We Belong Together, which premiered in June 2025. The streaming service announced the show was renewed for a second season in March.

#Nelly #Calls #Wife #Ashanti #Stop #Choosing #Celebrates #46th #Birthday