What's Really Going On With Rihanna And Drake
Rihanna and Drake have kept everyone (sometimes even each other) guessing for almost seven years now. Here's what's really up with these two musicians and would-be lovebirds.
She wouldn't commit to him
In May 2009, Page Six reported that Drake and Rihanna were spotted making out at Lucky Strikes bowling alley in New York City. The pair denied it and said they were just pals. Later, Drake referenced that fateful evening in his song "Fireworks," rapping, "I could tell it wasn't love, I just thought you'd f— with me / Who could've predicted Lucky Strikes would have you stuck with me? / What happened between us that night it always seems to trouble me / Now all of a sudden these gossip sites wanna cover me...You could've been the one, but it wasn't that serious." That makes it sound like Rihanna led him on, right?
Drake affirmed those suspicions in an interview with The New York Times in June 2010. "You know what she was doing to me? She was doing exactly what I've done to so many women throughout my life," he said, "which is show them quality time, then disappear. I was like, 'Wow, this feels terrible.'" He also told Vibe that he didn't hold it against her. "At the time it hurt, but she didn't mean to. I'll never put that on her," he said. "I was hurt because I started to slowly realize what it was. I guess I thought it was more."
She still harbored feelings for Chris Brown
Part of why Rihanna and Drake never settled down sooner was her unfinished business with abusive ex Chris Brown. Rihanna and Drake collaborated on "What's My Name" in 2010 and reportedly got hot and heavy a bit through early 2011, but by February 2012, Rihanna and Brown were back together...even though he was still dating Karrueche Tran at the same time. They remained an item until May 2013, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any drama as...
Drake and Chris Brown kept fighting over her
In June 2012, while Rihanna and Breezy were still together, Drake made sure he stayed on her mind. How? By allegedly starting drama with Brown and his entourage during a night out at New York's WIP nightclub, which ended in a bottle-throwing brawl, injuries, lawsuits, and embarrassment for all parties involved. Luckily, both Brown and Drake got off with no charges or lawsuits filed against them.
Drake is too obsessed with her
In fall 2013, Vibe reports that Drake and Rihanna were spotted getting cozy on a dinner date before the MTV Video Music Awards, and he references her again on his track, "Days in the East." Unfortunately, it was shortlived: A source told Us Weekly in May 2014, "Rihanna and Drake had another fight. He is too in love with her, which has always been the problem. They have been fighting, but that could all change any day now."
They keep mixing business with pleasure
In April 2015, spies told VH1 that Drake and Rihanna were getting cozy at Coachella, which an eagle-eye fan caught on camera. In May 2015, Hollywood Life reported that Drizzy and Rih couldn't keep their paws off of one another during a recording session (possibly for their hit "Work," which came out in 2016). "Most of their time in the studio was spent talking about their future and kissing—lots of kissing," a source dished. "Something about being inside a New York City studio together turns them on, especially Rihanna, because it's secretive and seedy. Once she was inside, Rihanna sat in Drake's lap...and they talked for hours. The love these two have for one another is contagious."
Unfortunately, "love" may be too strong a word for Rihanna's feelings for Drake, because she told Vanity Fair in November 2015 that her "last official boyfriend" was Brown. Maybe his dalliance with Serena Williams was his way of nursing his broken heart from the news.
It's mostly a relationship of convenience (and PR)
Ever notice how these two always seem to get hot and heavy when one of them drops a song or a collaboration? It's not a coincidence: Rihanna and Drake released "Work" in January 2016, and the pair get very close in its music video. During a performance that March, however, Drake attempts to kiss Rihanna, who swerves and embarrasses him in front of a few thousand people (and everyone else who got to see it online).
In May, an insider told Page Six, "They are not romantic at all. They've always been great friends." Another source close to Rihanna explained, "If you ask her, she says she's single. They do these shows together, and every time he goes to her show and performs, people start saying they're dating."
Perhaps in an effort to get over Rihanna, Drake linked up with Hailey Baldwin briefly in June 2016, but he soon fell back under the Bajan beauty's spell. Later that month, a source explained Page Six, "When they see each other, they have fun. They like to party together. [Rihanna] does her thing...it's all love." An E! News source added, "[Drake] still loves her and never stopped. Rihanna is the one that's been not wanting to settle down in the past. They are having fun spending time with each other. Their music together got them close again."