Drake and Rihanna were self-proclaimed best friends for years, so what ultimately led to their severing of ties?
The pair met way back in 2005 when they were just starting out in the music industry, and had each other to lean on emotionally throughout their hurdles in the spotlight.
Yet things became complicated for the dynamic duo once romantic feelings got tangled up in the mix. The “Nice For What” rapper hasn’t been shy about his utter infatuation with the Fenty Beauty mogul, and has even described Rihanna as his “ultimate fantasy.” The pair solidified their love for one another by getting matching tattoos (per E! News.) Talk about BFF commitment!
But it doesn’t stop there. To top it all off, Drake shocked audiences worldwide when he professed his nearly decade-long feelings for Rihanna live on national television.
Drake Professed His Love For Rihanna At The 2016 MTV Awards
The Canadian-born rapper declared his love for Rihanna at the 2016 MTV Awards, saying, “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22-years-old. She’s one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life, I’ve looked up to her, even though she’s younger than me.”
Yet it all came crashing down after Drake’s “romantic” move. The “Hotline Bling” rapper’s declaration of love might’ve made audiences swoon at the time, but knowing how uncomfortable it made Rihanna makes us examine the experience in a new light. He likely had good intentions, but an argument can be made that he put too much pressure on the “Desperado” singer in that moment, since it wasn’t something she was remotely expecting. Plus, with the whole world watching, it only added to the weight of it all.
Rihanna later spilled to Vogue about the experience, expressing her discomfort. She said, “Waiting through that speech was probably the most uncomfortable part…I don’t like too many compliments, I don’t like to be put on blast.”
Rihanna Officially Says She is No Longer Friends With Drake
During her 2018 interview with Vogue, the “Kiss It Better” singer confessed that she and Drake aren’t even on speaking terms anymore. “We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either,” she revealed at the time. “It is what it is.”
Closely after that interview, in 2019, Rihanna began dating her longtime friend ASAP Rocky. Her committed relationship with her now-husband was the ultimate breaking point for her complex dynamic with Drake, solidifying the end of Rihanna and Drake’s friendship once and for all.
Unfortunately, Drake’s feelings were so hurt over the “Umbrella” singer having moved on, that he allegedly shaded the Fenty Beauty founder in his song, “Fear of Heights.” He seemingly referenced her album “Anti,” with the lyrics, “I’m anti, I’m anti / Yeah, and the sex was average with you / Yeah, I’m anti ‘cuz I had it with you.” Not exactly what we’d call classy, Aubrey Graham!
Furthermore, when Rihanna officially announced her pregnancy with ASAP Rocky in 2022, sources revealed that Drake had an emotional reaction to this news. According to the inside source (per Hollywood Life,) “When Rihanna announced she was pregnant, he had mixed emotions. Of course, he was ecstatic for her… But at one point in time, Drake saw himself having a future with Rihanna, so it was just further confirmation that there was no future for them.”
What are your thoughts on Drake and Rihanna’s roller-coaster relationship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
