The Short-Lived Fling Drake Once Had With Tyra Banks

Drake is easily one of the most successful rappers of all time. Since his 2009 debut, the Toronto-born rapper has produced a slew of hits  — such as "God's Plan," "Hotline Bling," and "Take Care" — which have garnered him four Grammy awards, a comfortable spot at the top of Spotify's streaming ladder, per NME, and an enviable net worth. With that said, Drake has also gained notoriety for his particularly eventful romantic life. Over the years, Drake has been linked to several famous women, such as Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and SZA, as noted by People. On several occasions, Drake has actually linked himself to his romantic prospects. Either by cleverly name-dropping them or alluding to her existence in his songs — a habit that has spawned a hilarious "SNL" skit and endless internet memes.

Even though Drake's extensive relationship history hasn't helped him find his perfect match, it seems he's willing to wait things out. "I love my space, I love my work, and I love my routine," Drake shared during an interview. "And for me to break that for somebody, it would just have to be a really special person that fits into that puzzle and fits into what I'm doing," he added. In the meantime, Drake always has the option to reignite old flames — and one is a very famous ex-supermodel. 

Romance rumors between Drake and Tyra Banks first surfaced in 2012 after the pair were spotted enjoying a Disneyland outing, per Page Six. The same publication linked him to Rashidah Jones, so the fanfare surrounding the possible couple faded quickly. However, Drake breathed new life into their relationship during a 2013 interview on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," when the titular host grilled him about his past romantic prospects. When the model's name came up, Drake bashfully confirmed the rumors. "I went on a date with [Tyra] one time, yeah," shared the rapper. "Yeah, it was just one date. We went to Disneyland in disguise, actually, which was fun." Drake then clarified that it might have been more of a get-together than a date. Either way, Banks wasn't impressed. 

During an appearance on "The Steve Harvey Show," the "America's Next Top Model" host gave the Grammy award-winner a piece of her mind. "Okay, first of all. I'm watching Ellen, and I'm like, 'I can't believe it,'" revealed Banks, adding that her "phone was blowing up." She then "freestyled" the rest of her response. "Drake rhymes with snake, but now he ain't," rapped Banks. "He's more like a lion, going on Ellen but not lying." She also emphasized that Drake wasn't her man "right now," then urged him not to "kiss and tell." 

In the years since Drake's admission, it doesn't appear like anything further transpired between him and Tyra Banks. However, Banks isn't the only model that Drake has dated. Over the years, Drake has been linked to various models such as Imaan Hammam, Sophia Marie, and Maliah Michel, according to The U.S. Sun. And while all of these relationships seem pretty cut and dry, Drake's past with model Bella Hadid remains unclear. 

Back in October 2017, Us Weekly reported that Drake had thrown Hadid a lavish 21st birthday party. Given that Hadid was fresh off a breakup with R&B singer The Weeknd, the public began to speculate whether the two were just friends or perhaps something more. The following year, Drake released two songs where he name-dropped Hadid and spoke of "fashion week" being more her speed than his (via Vulture). However, Hadid has since denied these claims, per People.