On Sunday, July 14, Ashanti celebrated at her safari-themed baby shower at the Oheka Castle venue in Huntington, New York.
The event, planned by The Eventologist, transported guests into a jungle paradise adorned with life-sized animal figures and stunning posters featuring Ashanti’s recent maternity shoot.
A highlight of the celebration was a three-tier jungle-themed cake artfully crafted by Hanoli cakes. The company’s attention to detail drew praises from Ashanti hersself.
“You guys are the absolute best!!!! I loved loved loved my cake so much!!! And so did everyone else!! Thankuuuuuuuu,” she commented online.
In videos shared online, Ashanti showcased her baby bump in a stunning $1,498 Retrofete Gaia Dress in White & Gold.
Her hair was styled into a long, sleek ponytail, giving her a fairytale-like appearance. At one point, she stood by a castle window, looking like Rapunzel ready to let down her hair.
While the event was attended by friends and loved ones, Ashanti’s husband, Nelly, was notably absent. The rapper was on tour in Charlotte, performing at the PNC Music Pavilion on July 14, which likely explains his absence from the festivities.
However, Nelly did attend the couple’s first baby shower, a surprise yellow-and-white-themed event for the mom-to-be.
Ashanti and Nelly rekindled their romance after a decade apart during Fat Joe and Ja Rule’s Verzuz battle in 2021. Three years later, the couple are now married and expecting their first child together.
Baby Haynes will be Ashanti’s first child and Nelly’s third. The “Hot in Herre” rapper is already a proud father to adult children, Chanelle, 29, and Cornell Haynes III, 24, from a previous relationship.
Nelly also adopted his late sister Jackie Donahue’s kids, Shawn and Sydney Thomas, after she passed away from leukemia in 2005.
