Rapper Nelly has been dating his girlfriend for six years. In the article below, we get to know who Shantel Jackson is and we also have a look at her relationship with the musician.
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., also known as Nelly, has been dating his longtime girlfriend, Shantel Jackson since 2014. The couple was able to meet through a mutual friend and have been going strong ever since.
In 2017, the rapper spoke to "Entertainment Tonight (ET)” about his relationship with Jackson. He explained that he felt their relationship worked because they started off as friends before moving on to romance.
Shantel Jackson and Nelly at the 7th Annual Face Forward Gala on September 24, 2016, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: JC Olivera/Getty Images
A GENUINE RELATIONSHIP
Nelly felt getting into a friendship first with someone allowed the relationship to become genuine when you started dating. The star noted how not being genuine in relationships led to festering when you realize you’re in it for the wrong reasons.
The couple isn't engaged or married, and they don't have children together but they have been with each other for six years. For part of their relationship, the three topics have come up.
JACKSON’S REALITY SHOW
In 2017, Jackson, who’s done modeling and acting, was asked to join the cast of the E! reality show “The Platinum Life.” The 8-episode series featured the girlfriends and wives of some Hollywood musicians including Ne-Yo’s wife, Crystal Smith.
In past episodes of the series, Jackson spoke about her desire to marry Nelly and have children with him. Fans of the show will remember an episode where she tried on an engagement ring worth $200,000.
BABY FEVER
During the episode, the reality star and businesswoman confessed to a friend that her boyfriend had “baby fever.” However, Jackson wasn’t as keen on the idea as she wanted to be married before having children.
In other footage from the show, she was seen talking to the rapper on the phone about freezing her eggs. Nelly reacted by telling her she didn’t have old eggs and informed her that he preferred having children naturally, but still supported her if she wanted to freeze her eggs.
PROMOTING REALITY SHOW
In 2017, Jackson also accompanied her boyfriend on his Smooth Tour. She promoted her then-new E! series by inviting ET to experience the "VIP lifestyle" with her and her friends at Nelly’s concert at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The ET crew was treated to a first-class view of the couple’s relationship. They got to meet the St. Louis, Missouri, native and interview him on his tour bus alongside his girlfriend.
ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS
During the same year, the couple landed in hot water when the rapper was accused of assault. In 2018, Nelly was sued by his accuser named Jane Doe for the case, for an alleged sexual assault incident.
The accuser added Jackson as a defendant over a series of tweets. The reality star defended herself and her man by calling the woman a liar as she was with Nelly on the day in question.
SHANTEL’S FUNNY SIDE
On a lighter note, Jackson showed off her love for her boyfriend this year by sharing a hilarious video on Instagram. She recorded herself dressed up as him and recreated his look from the music video to his single "Dilemma."
The reality star showed off her lighter side by drawing a fake mustache and mimicking the rapper’s white tape look on one cheek. She lip-synced the lyrics to the song straight into the camera.
NELLY ON DWTS
In 2020, Nelly partook in season 29 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars (DWTS)” where he made it to the finale with professional dancer Daniella Karagach Pashkova. On one of the October episodes, he dedicated his Villains Night dance to Jackson.
During the episode, he opened up about his relationship with his girlfriend. The star honestly shared that he thought she was great and that they enjoyed each other’s company and understood one another.
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