Irv Gotti Says He Found Out About Ashanti and Nelly Being Together by Seeing Them at an NBA Game on TV
The end of Irv Gotti's alleged extramarital affair with Ashanti still seems to haunt the Murder Inc. cofounder.
On Tuesday (Aug. 2), N.O.R.E. released a teaser of his upcoming Drink Champs podcast episode with Irv Gotti and Ja Rule. During the clip, Irv speaks about being in love with Ashanti when she started dating Nelly.
"I can get past you wanting to be with Nelly," an inebriated Irv says in the clip.
"Sounds like you didn't get past that, I'ma be honest," N.O.R.E counters.
"Listen, at the time it happens, any man is hurt," Irv Gotti replies. "The chic you fucking in love with is with this nigga."
"You wanna hear how I found out?" Irv continues. "I was at home ... listen to this shit. This is God wanted me to find out. I was at home. NBA package, I like watching sports. 'Oh my God, what's this commotion going on in the stadium?'" Irv adds, imitating a sports announcer. "'We just found out what the commotion is. Nelly just walked in with Ashanti.'"
Ashanti was Murder Inc's flagship female artist from 2002-2009, when she parted ways with the label. In 2019, Irv Gotti claimed he was in a short-lived relationship with Ashanti at a time when he was separated from his wife Debra Lorenzo. People on Twitter were quick to point out Irv's audacity for admitting he was in love with another woman while still having a whole wife and kids.
"Damn Ashanti did Irv Gotti dirty stepping out with Nelly..Good thing he had his wife's shoulder to cry on," one person commented on the post.
"It's just crazy how he talks about that like he didn't have a whole wife, 2.5 kids & a house with a white picket fence at the time," someone else noted.
Ashanti started dating Nelly in 2003 after meeting at a press conference for the Grammy Awards. They were together for 11 years before breaking up in 2014.
Ashanti and Irv Gotti have been at odds recently over the singer re-recording her earlier works in order to gain financial control of her music.