US singer Ashanti tests positive for COVID-19 after Kenya visit

R&B singer Ashanti has tested positive for COVID-19 just days after returning to the US from Kenya.

“Hey y’all I can’t believe I’m saying this but I tested positive for COVID-19,” the celebrity wrote on her Instagram account. “I’m ok and not in any pain.”

It is not clear exactly when or how she caught the virus, and whether it is related to her Kenyan trip.

Ashanti, who is also an actress and songwriter, arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on December 7. She was reportedly staying at a hotel in Karen. One of her ports of call was the world famous Nairobi National Park.  

Before testing positive, Ashanti was due to engage in a head-to-head with fellow singer Keyshia Cole in a battle called “Verzuz.”

Head-to-Head Battle

Verzuz was created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The web series puts two hip-hop or R&B stars head-to-head as they play through their respective discographies during a three-hour session. Some of Verzuz’s most notable battles include Teddy Riley and Babyface, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, Brandy and Monica, Ludacris and Nelly and Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane,” writes Variety magazine.

Ashanti, upbeat, said: “I’m actually down to do the Verzuz from my house.. we’re trying to figure it all out!!!…"

Ashanti’s discography includes the eponymous Ashanti (released in 2002), Ashanti’s Christmas (2003) and Braveheart (2014).

Ashanti, besides winning a Grammy for "Contemporary R&B", went multiple platinum and etched her reputation in the music genre’s hall of fame.