When Ja Rule and Fat Joe went head-to-head during a Verzuz Battle at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater on Sept. 14, their performance wasn’t the only drama the fans took in that night. Ashanti, the R&B princess who ruled the mid-2000s, played for both teams, singing some of her hits with Ja Rule while also performing “What’s Luv?” with both artists. Meanwhile, her ex, Nelly, was on Fat Joe’s team and ended up crossing the stage to give his ex a hug.
Later, on The Tamron Hall Show, Ashanti revealed how she really felt about the reunion with her ex, sharing how she “really didn’t expect it” or knew the “Hot in Here” rapper was going to be in attendance. “When I saw him kind of coming across the stage, I was just like, ‘Oh…’ and it was so weird because we haven’t seen or spoken to each other for over six years… so it was a weird feeling.” She added, “So it had been so long, I didn’t know how to feel or what I was going to feel when I actually did see him. So, that’s what it was like.”
The “Happy” songstress and Nelly initially met at a 2003 Grammys press conference when both were at the height of their powers in the hip hop/R&B industry. The two became smitten, paired up shortly after, and ended up dating for more than ten years before calling it quits in 2014. Both remained private about the breakup, although Ashanti did admit that a lack of trust is what lead to the split.
“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities, it allows them to act out of character,” she admitted in 2015 on the Meredith Viera Show. “I’ve been betrayed. I’m not a big fan of people being cowards. I’m in a different place now.” During a concert in 2018, she also told the crowd, “I’ve been betrayed before, publicly. F***that.” In response, one fan yelled out, “F*** Nelly,” to which Ashanti reportedly responded, “Word!”