Key Takeaways
- Ashanti called Taylor Swift “Tay Tay” while discussing their longtime friendship, and Nelly proudly described himself as a Swiftie.
- Nelly said Swift once paid him $50,000 in a McDonald’s bag and sent a private jet so he could perform “Hot in Herre” at her Houston concert, though he insisted he would have done it for free.
- Ashanti also credited Swift with inspiring her to re-record her debut album and pursue ownership of her masters.
Ashanti and her husband, Nelly, didn't just get an invitation to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding. They've known the pop superstar for years—and according to Nelly, that friendship once involved $50,000 in cash, a private jet, and a McDonald's bag.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Nelly recalled getting an unexpected phone call from Swift, who wanted him to perform “Hot in Herre” during one of her Houston concerts. Apparently, Swift and her friends had been practicing a routine to the 2002 hit, and she wanted him to appear.
There was just one problem: Swift supposedly didn't have much of a budget.
“I don't really have a budget like that,” Nelly recalled Swift telling him before offering $50,000, private transportation, and accommodations.
His response? “Can you put that in a McDonald's bag?”
Nelly said Swift sent a G5 jet to pick him up in St. Louis, flew him and his children to Houston, and arranged a presidential suite. When he arrived at the stadium, someone from her team reportedly handed him a McDonald's bag containing the money.
“But I would've did it for free,” Nelly said.
The rapper also revealed that Swift had previously joined him onstage to perform “Dilemma.”
That history resurfaced when Nelly and Ashanti appeared on Good Day New York last week, where Ashanti discussed her friendship with Swift.
“I love Tay Tay,” Ashanti said, using her nickname for the singer. “I call her Tay Tay, you know. But he's known her longer.”
Nelly also proudly declared himself a Swift fan.
“Oh, I'm a Swiftie. Hell yeah,” he said.
The couple attended Swift and Kelce's July 3 wedding at Madison Square Garden, where approximately 1,000 guests gathered for a ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler.
“It was amazing!” Ashanti said of the celebration. “It looked so beautiful inside, like it was a real garden. Like, it was so magical.”
But Ashanti's admiration for Swift isn't limited to their personal relationship.
In 2022, Ashanti credited Swift with inspiring her decision to re-record her self-titled debut album and pursue ownership of her masters.
She also praised Swift for challenging industry practices and showing how women could own their work in a business historically dominated by men.
And Ashanti wasn't the only woman whose connection to Swift became a talking point after the wedding.
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles also attended the Madison Square Garden ceremony with husband Jonathan Owens. When Biles posted wedding photos, one commenter questioned whether she and Swift even knew each other.
“Remember this, I only show y'all what I want y'all to know,” Biles responded.
Their public connection stretches back to the Tokyo Olympics, when Swift narrated a tribute celebrating Biles' resilience. The gymnast responded, “I'm crying... how special. I love you.”
Swift returned the affection, telling Biles, “I cried watching YOU.”
