Ashanti Says She Wore The 'Perfect Ex Outfit' After Running Into Nelly During Verzuz
It was the hug seen around the world. Ashanti and Nelly were both special guests at the Fat Joe and Ja Rule "Verzuz" battle that took place in New York on Sept. 14. And while they both were on opposite sides of the stage, Nelly made a beeline towards the singer and stretched his arms out to hug her, which sent social media into a frenzy.
Ashanti and Nelly were reportedly together on and off for 10 years before putting a final end to their relationship in 2014. During an interview with Angie Martinez, the "Foolish" singer talked about the viral moment and revealed that she hadn't seen the rapper in six years prior to that night.
"You know what, the crazy part is he didn't say anything," she said in reference to the hug. "First of all, I didn't know he was going to be there. I told [Fat] Joe, like 'Joe, why you ain't tell me he was gonna' be there?'"
Mimicking Fat Joe, she said, "He was like, 'Sis, I know, it's terrible.' He was like, 'I couldn't risk you not coming if you knew he was going to be there."
"It was very unexpected. I hadn't seen him in like six years or more. Spoken or seen," she said. "It was a little awkward."
But while their run-in was awkward for the singer, Angie Martinez had a different perspective. "I gotta say if you gotta run into an ex, you had the right outfit on," she said. "You always want to look your best." Ashanti agreed and called it "the perfect ex outfit."
During the Verzuz, the "Baby" singer had folks mesmerized with her sexy all-black look. She wore an Alexander McQueen leather jacket with a lace peekaboo bra, high-waisted leather panties, and Jennifer Le thigh-high boots.
While fans speculated that Nelly may want that old thing back, Ashanti has moved on. The Coach Carter actress shared that she was happily dating someone, but didn't reveal who.
The "Hot In Herre" rapper was also asked about the infamous hug during his Sept. 16 appearance on "The Big Tigger Morning Show." While the moment went viral, Nelly claimed that their interaction wasn't that serious.
"It wasn't just like that. I said what up to everybody bro," he said. "I said what up to everybody… I didn't want no uncomfortable feeling, nothing like that, everybody was celebrating. I just said what up, it was all good I just said what up to everybody…But they didn't catch that. They zoomed right in. But it was cool."
Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Laterras R. Whitfield On What He Wants In A 'Future Wifey' & Redefining Masculinity
In this week's episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker chopped it up with Laterras R. Whitfield, host of the Dear Future Wifey podcast, for a raw and revealing conversation about personal growth, faith, and the search for love in a way that resonates.
Laterras Whitfield Believes Men Should Pursue, Not Persuade
“Let me know you exist, and I’ll do the rest”
Whitfield is a big advocate of a man’s role in going confidently for the woman he wants. “Men should pursue, not persuade, and women should present, not pursue,” he said. He’s open to meeting women on social media but isn’t a fan of bold approaches. “Don’t shoot your shot at me. … Let me know you exist, and I’ll do the rest.”
His ideal woman?
“She has to be a woman of God… I judge a woman by how her friends see her… and most importantly, how she treats my kids.”
Infidelity, Redemption, and the Power of Self-Control
“Being disciplined is the most beautiful thing you can offer”
Once unfaithful in his previous marriage, Whitfield has since transformed his perspective on masculinity. “Being disciplined is the most beautiful thing you can offer. That’s what true masculinity is to me now.” He has also committed to abstinence, choosing self-control as a defining trait of manhood.
Whitfield’s journey is one of redemption, purpose, and faith—something that speaks to women who value emotional intelligence, accountability, and the power of transformation.
Rewriting the Narrative Around Black Masculinity
What masculinity, legacy, and healing mean to Whitfield today
“My dad taught me what not to be [as a man] and my mom taught me what she needed [in a man],” Whitfield said. While his father wasn’t abusive, he wasn’t emotionally or affectionately present. “Since I didn’t see it, I never got it either… I would look at my dad and say, ‘I want to be a better father.’ ”
Adoption had always been on his spirit, influenced by TV shows like Different Strokes and Punky Brewster. This mindset led him to take in his nephew as his son after a powerful dream confirmed what he already felt in his heart.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Laterras R. Whitfield On What He Wants In A 'Future Wifey' & Redefining Masculinity
In this week's episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker chopped it up with Laterras R. Whitfield, host of the Dear Future Wifey podcast, for a raw and revealing conversation about personal growth, faith, and the search for love in a way that resonates.
Laterras Whitfield Believes Men Should Pursue, Not Persuade
“Let me know you exist, and I’ll do the rest”
Whitfield is a big advocate of a man’s role in going confidently for the woman he wants. “Men should pursue, not persuade, and women should present, not pursue,” he said. He’s open to meeting women on social media but isn’t a fan of bold approaches. “Don’t shoot your shot at me. … Let me know you exist, and I’ll do the rest.”
His ideal woman?
“She has to be a woman of God… I judge a woman by how her friends see her… and most importantly, how she treats my kids.”
Infidelity, Redemption, and the Power of Self-Control
“Being disciplined is the most beautiful thing you can offer”
Once unfaithful in his previous marriage, Whitfield has since transformed his perspective on masculinity. “Being disciplined is the most beautiful thing you can offer. That’s what true masculinity is to me now.” He has also committed to abstinence, choosing self-control as a defining trait of manhood.
Whitfield’s journey is one of redemption, purpose, and faith—something that speaks to women who value emotional intelligence, accountability, and the power of transformation.
Rewriting the Narrative Around Black Masculinity
What masculinity, legacy, and healing mean to Whitfield today
“My dad taught me what not to be [as a man] and my mom taught me what she needed [in a man],” Whitfield said. While his father wasn’t abusive, he wasn’t emotionally or affectionately present. “Since I didn’t see it, I never got it either… I would look at my dad and say, ‘I want to be a better father.’ ”
Adoption had always been on his spirit, influenced by TV shows like Different Strokes and Punky Brewster. This mindset led him to take in his nephew as his son after a powerful dream confirmed what he already felt in his heart.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube