Ashanti's Dad Praises Nelly For Asking Daughter's Hand In Marriage: 'I Was Very Impressed'
Nelly asked Ashanti's dad for his blessing to marry the singer before they quietly tied the knot late last year.
It recently emerged that Nelly, 49, and Ashanti, 43 -- who are expecting their first child together -- have been legally married since December 2023 -- just months after they rekindled their romance.
Now, Ashanti's father Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas has revealed that Nelly asked him for his daughter's hand in marriage before popping the question.
"We had a discussion about him wanting to marry her. We had a little brief conversation," Douglas recalled of his conversation with his now son-in-law, as seen in a video obtained by The Shade Room.
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"For me, it's very special for a man in this era to ask for someone's hand [in marriage], especially your daughter's," he continued, "I was very impressed with the fact that you asked."
Douglas went on to show love to Nelly and welcome him into their family.
"I'm glad things worked out for you. God's way will always happen best," he said.
Douglas gave the speech Sunday during a surprise baby shower Nelly threw for Ashanti to celebrate the impending arrival of their baby.
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The celebration was held at the Dolce & Gabbana children's boutique in New York City and was attended by the couple's family and famous friends, including Fat Joe and Breland.
A video circulating on social media showed the moment the "Hot in Herre" rapper surprised his pregnant wife.
In the clip, Ashanti can be seen looking shocked and then getting emotional as she was greeted by screams of "Surprise!"
Fat Joe also shared a photo of him and his wife, Lorena Cartagena, posing with Nelly and Ashanti at the bash.
"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 captioned the Instagram snap.
For the baby shower, Nelly rocked an all-black look, while Ashanti stunned in a Dolce & Gabbana two-piece set that showed off her baby bump.
The couple first shared the news in April that they were engaged and expecting their first child together.
However, TMZ reported last month, citing St. Louis, Missouri, public records, that the couple had gotten hitched on Dec. 27, 2023.
Their baby will be the first child for Ashanti and the third for Nelly, who has two adult children from a previous relationship
The rapper also adopted his sister Jackie Donahue's two children after she died in 2005.
