Nelly’s Controversial Parental Duties Ignite Debate, Fans Sympathize with Ashanti

Nelly will not be receiving any father of the year awards anytime soon. 

The hitmaker, 50, refuses to get up in the middle of the night with his infant son, as revealed on a recent episode of Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together.

The rapper sparked some outrage when he revealed his daddy duties also don’t include diaper duty. 

The couple are parents to son Kareem, who will turn one on July 18. 

‘You know what? It’s absolutely ridiculous that you’ll still be dead asleep and he’ll be mad loud,’ Ashanti, 44, is heard chiding him in a recent clip. 

Nelly responded that he ‘doesn’t hear’ the baby crying.

Nelly, 50, is receiving some pushback after revealing his daddy duties do not include diaper duty on a recent episode of  Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together.

‘It’s ridiculous,’ the Only U singer asserted, again.

‘It’s a gift, I guess,’ he retorted, adding,  ‘I’m blessed with that tune-out.’

In an earlier conversation about the Grillz singer’s upcoming 54-stop global Where’s the Party At Tour, he implied that the childcare duties would be on Ashanti.

‘Well, listen, it’s all you. I ain’t gonna even lie,’ Nelly told her.  ‘You know, I ain’t got nothing for him.’

In a conversation with friends caught on camera, the Air Force Ones artist is heard telling them, until Kareem can say ‘I’m hungry’ and ‘I need to use the bathroom,’ Ashanti be in charge.

The Country Grammar artist then joked, Ashanti should take advantage of her time with Kareem, because ‘as soon as he gets to walking and talking, he’ll be with the crew.’

‘Dang sis, this show got your tea getting clocked lol it’s not you tho, it’s Nelly,’ wrote one angry commenter on Ashanti’s Instagram page, adding, ‘Maybe you should have shelved this one baby…. But hey, best of luck mamas.’

‘Girl u got ur baby leave him again,’ advised another. 

The show chronicles the couple’s every day life as working artists and new parents

When Ashanti, 44, chided Nelly, 50, for not getting up during the night with the baby the Grillz singer replied ‘It’s a gift, I guess,’ he retorted, adding, ‘I’m blessed with that tune-out’

During an interview promoting the Peacock show on Today, ‘I told her before we had him, I said, “now listen, I’m here, but chasin’ toddlers at 50 ….’ adding he would be happy for her to have ‘as many as you want,’ and he would hire ‘as many nannies as we can afford.’ 

Nelly has four older children – Chanelle, 31, and Cornell III, 26, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Channetta Valentine.  He is also dad to his late sister’s kids, Shawn and Sydney, who he adopted after her death in 2005. 

Ashanti and Nelly first met in 2003 and had an on-again, off-again relationship for a decade before splitting for another 10 years in 2013. 

They reunited professionally in 2021 at Verzuz battle between Ja Rule and Fat Joe at Madison Square Garden. 

Sparks apparently flew at the time, and the couple revealed they had privately wed in December 2023 and welcomed Kareem seven months later. 

Ashanti and Nelly first met in 2003 and had an on-again, off-again relationship for a decade before splitting for another 10 years in 2013;  Pictured in Los Angeles in July 2006

After nearly a decade apart they met again in 2001, at a  Verzuz battle between Ja Rule and Fat Joe at Madison Square Garden

The couple wed privately in December 2023 and welcomed Kareem in July  18, 2024

All eight episodes of Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together are available for streaming on Peacock

The previously private couple decided to open up their lives in the reality show because ‘I thought it would be great letting our fans get a different view of us,’ Nelly said in a Peacock Blog. 

‘I think it’s a cool vehicle because it gives people a chance to see the inside things that they don’t normally see all the time,’ Ashanti explained.

‘Especially for me, this is my first rodeo! He’s done this before,’ she said referring to his time on Dancing with the Stars and in the mockumentary Real Husbands of Hollywood. 

All eight episodes of Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together are available for streaming on Peacock.