After a long hiatus, Nelly and Ashanti are giving their relationship a second chance. This week, the pair affirmed rumors that have been circulating for a while now. The duo was initially an item for approximately a decade after first meeting at the Grammy Awards in 2003.

Ashanti shined a spotlight on their renewed romance at the 2023 MTV VMAs. While on the red carpet, she accentuated her look with a clutch featuring a photo of her and Nelly from years past that elucidated the history they share.

The “Rain On Me” singer opened up during her interview with “TODAY.” She explained, “This is where we first exchanged numbers. I was like, ‘Oh, this would be cute.’ Everything is lining up in the universe. So I’m happy.”

Ashanti took to her Instagram Story after the show to provide more context. It read, “So in this pic, we exchanged numbers at the VMAs in 2003… 20 years ago.”

A day prior, on Philo TV’s “Boss Moves With Rasheeda,” Nelly revealed that the couple was indeed “cool again.” He noted, “I think it surprised both of us. It wasn’t anything that was, like, I don’t think planned. I think we both were pretty much doing what we do.”

Nelly continued, “We both were pretty much doing what we do, but sometimes, being separate, you understand one another more. You could be like, ‘Well, yo, let me exactly see maybe what they see.’ We all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. We know we [are] wrong, but we going to stand on it, you know what I mean? But we [are] all a victim to that.”

The 48-year-old rapper also reflected on the maturity he and Ashanti attained during their time apart, emphasizing that the separation granted them a new perspective and a deeper understanding of one another.