Ashanti Talks Docuseries With Nelly: 'We Got All Of Our Big Arguments Out In 2012'

Refinery29

2 days ago

We are in an era of nostalgia, and as a millennial who mainlined every movie and TV show we are now revisiting, I am not mad at it. And thanks to the current early 2000s renaissance, at this year's American Black Film Festival (ABFF), I had the opportunity to do something teen Kathleen wouldn't have even dared to dream: I interviewed Ashanti on stage in front of a room full of people who were just as in awe of her as I was.
Ashanti was everything to 2000s pop and R&B — and to me. She wasn't just a voice on the radio or a hot girl on MTV (I grew up in Canada so it was MuchMusic for us), she was the moment. For millennial Black girls like me, she was soft and powerful at the same time, a woman who could sing about heartbreak one minute and independence the next, all while rocking rhinestones, low-rise jeans, and that signature baby hair with unapologetic confidence. She held her own next to Ja Rule and Fat Joe, yet her solo tracks like ' Foolish ' and ' Rain on Me ' gave us the soundtrack to first crushes, late-night MSN messenger confessions (real ones remember!), and our earliest lessons in love. While other artists chased trends, Ashanti was the sound. Her melodies, harmonies, and pen game helped define that sweet spot between hip-hop grit and R&B vulnerability. She didn't just belong to the charts; she belonged to us.
So it's safe to say that getting to interview her and get a sneak peak of her reality docuseries with her husband, another 2000s icon, Nelly, was a dream come true. The duo — who broke up and got back together and now are married with a baby — have come together for the ultimate collaboration: their new docuseries, Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together (which hits Peacock today, Thursday, June 26).
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I never saw myself doing a docuseries, reality TV or anything like that... But my husband [Nelly] was like, 'look, this is what I think we should do.'
ashanti at abff
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The panel, titled ' The Remix: Ashanti's New Chapter of Love, Life & Legacy ', started with the teaser trailer for the show and showcased why Ashanti and Nelly decided to do a reality series now.
"I never saw myself doing a docuseries, reality TV or anything like that," Ashanti told the packed crowd in Miami. "I had been asked for years to do it, to have the cameras [follow] my sisters, stuff with my family, stuff by myself and I was like, 'nah I'm good, thank you.' But my husband was like, 'look, this is what I think we should do.'" Ashanti laughed along with the audience.
The conversation unpacked Ashanti's expanded role in the docuseries — as star, producer, mother, and creative force. Alongside NBCU programming executive Brittinee Royes and the show's executive producer and showrunner, Oji Singletary, Ashanti spoke about how this chapter aligns with her ongoing career evolution. She's a mom now and while she's still singing, acting, and
Peacock's eight‐episode docuseries offers an intimate portrayal of Nelly and Ashanti's renewed romance. After reuniting at a 2021 Verzuz event, the couple quietly married in December 2023 and welcomed their son KK in mid‑2024. From the first episode, I couldn't help but smile seeing them together again. There's a comfort in watching two artists you grew up with find each other again, this time with more maturity and less ego. They're grown. They're flawed. And watching them navigate that — in a long-distance marriage, with a baby, and careers still unfolding — felt real in a way you don't often expect from a celebrity docuseries. And when I asked Ashanti if she was worried about showing the reality of their relationship to the world, she didn't flinch. She said she wasn't because they don't fight in the same way after their reconciliation.
"Yeah, it's crazy. I think we got all of our big arguments out in, like, 2012," Ashanti said to laughter. "Those were the big, big ones and I think we kind of fizzled that out."
One argument that is teased in the series is the couple's disagreement over Nelly's choice to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration ball. The series doesn't dance around the controversy, which saw Nelly face backlash for seemingly aligning himself with Trump (he defended the choice by saying it was "not political" back in January). Ashanti shouldn't have to answer for her husband's actions, but by nature of being married, his actions do reflect on her as well. The series shows Ashanti confronting Nelly about the decision and doesn't shy away from the conflict. As much as I disagree with Nelly's choice (and let's make it clear that I absolutely do), I liked that the show was candid about it, and that it showed Ashanti holding her own and standing up for herself and her reputation.
Aside from that storyline, the series combines a blend of candid interviews, real‑life and tour footage, and personal anecdotes, resulting in a surprisingly candid showcase of Ashanti and Nelly's chemistry. My personal favorite moment is something extremely mundane: the couple go shopping for mattresses. Nelly can't wrap his head around the exorbitant prices and Ashanti is just giggling along as she tries to convince her man that a million-dollar price tag on a mattress is normal.
"We wanted it to feel real," Ashanti said. "We want people to see the funny sides and the things that people don't see on Instagram." In moments like these, couple is portrayed as warm and genuine, with their goofy dynamic and their commitment to each other coming through loud and clear.
During the panel, both Royes and Singletary chimed in about the specialness of that simple moment and shared what else in the series sets it apart from other reality TV. "It's Ashanti's first motherhood experience and then cameras are here, boom, we're shooting," Singletary said. "I'm super proud of her, I'm super proud of Nelly and I think everyone is going to appreciate it."
"For me as a woman, as a wife, as a mother, I'm like there are nuances to this story that the people need to see," Royes said. "And I was so grateful that [Ashanti] was open to being honest and being vulnerable about [juggling motherhood and career]. You guys will see in the first episode and I related because I remember going back to work after having a baby. And you really struggle."
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Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together shows the superstar's struggle with balancing her career and new baby, but it also sets a clear boundary: Ashanti's son, KK, is never shown in full in the series. His face is blurred out. On the decision to not show KK's face, Ashanti said, "There was no hesitation. I knew I was not going to show my son... I'm kind of a mama bear already, very protective. I didn't want to show my son to world yet. I haven't even posted him on Instagram or anything like that. Those moments are very sacred to me. We'll make the decision on when he's ready to pop out and show out," She said laughing.
By the end of our conversation, I felt oddly emotional. And as for the series, We Belong Together isn't a love story trying to convince us everything's perfect. It's about starting over, about timing finally aligning, and about healing in the public eye. We've watched Ashanti go from mixtapes to motherhood, and right now, we're watching a new beginning. If you go to the series for nostalgia, you'll get it. If you go for authenticity, it's got that too. And during our panel at ABFF, Ashanti, Singletary and Royes reminded everyone that sometimes the greatest remix isn't a new beat — it's a whole new perspective.