Nelly is trying to save his son from regular photoshoots. The Grammy-winning artist has expressed concerns about his son’s future reaction to the extensive documentation of his early months.
The 50-year-old rapper has KK, nine months, with ‘Foolish’ singer Ashanti, 44, and while she is making a point of taking his picture on a regular basis in the run up to his first birthday, he wants to stop him from any sort of embarrassment in the future. The couple welcomed their first child together after rekindling their relationship following a long separation.
“I’ve been trying to save him from the photo shoots ’cause when he gets older and sees all of this, he gonna be like..,” he told US TV show ‘Extra’. Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr., has previously spoken about the importance of privacy when raising children in the spotlight.
Ashanti interjected: “He’s gonna love it!” The R&B singer has been enthusiastic about documenting every milestone of their son’s first year, creating a comprehensive visual record of his development.
The ‘Hot In Heere’ hitmaker joked that he has had “more birthday parties” than he has, but Ashanti corrected him and insisted that they are not parties and merely photoshoots that occur on a regular basis. These professional photoshoots have reportedly become a monthly tradition in their household.
“Man, this boy done had more birthday parties than me!” he said. Nelly, who also has two adult children from previous relationships, has often spoken about his more relaxed approach to parenting.
Ashanti said: “They’re not birthday parties, they are photo shoots every birthday month — that’s what it is.” The monthly photoshoots have become a playful point of contention between the musical power couple, who first dated from 2003 to 2013 before reconnecting in recent years.
Despite her enthusiasm for snapping the little one in private, Ashanti recently revealed that she is not keen on the idea of sharing pictures of him on her social media for her millions of followers just yet. The singer has maintained a careful balance between documenting her son’s life and protecting his privacy from public scrutiny.
“I just feel like he is so important to me, and I don’t know if I want to share that. He’s a beautiful baby. He’s definitely my twin, he’s definitely my twin!” she told ‘Entertainment Tonight’. Celebrity parents increasingly face decisions about how much of their children’s lives to share publicly in the age of social media.
“In a perfect world, I would control it. Do you know what I mean? If you don’t wanna see the other side me, then don’t do it. Maybe [for his birthday], maybe yeah..” The couple has been deliberating about potentially revealing their son’s face on social media for his first birthday celebration.
“Sometimes I want to post, I’m like ‘Oh this is so cute.’ Daddy definitely wants to post, Daddy wants to post. But I’m like ‘Not yet, Daddy, not yet,” Ashanti explained, highlighting the couple’s ongoing discussions about their son’s privacy. This approach reflects a growing trend among celebrity parents to be more protective of their children’s digital footprint.
The couple’s stance on privacy comes amid increasing awareness about children’s rights to privacy in the digital age, with many celebrities choosing to either blur their children’s faces or keep them off social media entirely. Child development experts have noted the potential psychological impacts of growing up with an extensive online presence that was created without consent.
Nelly and Ashanti have been balancing their public personas with their desire for family privacy since welcoming their son. Industry insiders note that the couple has declined several offers for exclusive baby photos from major publications.
Despite their protective approach to social media, sources close to the couple reveal they have created extensive private photo albums and videos to share with family and close friends. These collections will serve as cherished mementos for their son when he grows older.
The couple’s loving disagreement about photoshoots represents the classic parenting dynamic of finding balance between documenting precious moments and allowing children to develop without excessive scrutiny. Parenting experts note that this negotiation is especially challenging for public figures whose lives are constantly in the spotlight.
