Drake's Friendship With Millie Bobby Brown Is Raising Eyebrows Once Again
Fans were surprised in 2018 when it was revealed that Millie Bobby Brown and Drake had a friendship. The "Stranger Things" star gushed over the rapper while on the red carpet at the 2018 Emmy Awards. "I love him," Brown told Access at the time. "I met him in Australia and he's honestly a great friend and a great role model." The actor said that she and Drake would text and tell each other "I miss you" while away and that the "Hotline Bling" artist would give her advice "about boys."
The relationship between Brown, who was 14 years old at the time it began, and Drake, then 31, raised red flags for some fans. Shortly after that interview, Brown responded to the backlash. "Why u gotta make a lovey friendship ur headline? U guys are weird ... for real," she wrote in an Instagram story, via E!, adding she viewed Drake as a mentor. "I'm lucky to have people in the business extend their time to help me further my career and offer their wisdom and guidance," Brown wrote.
Several outlets believed that Brown's ex-boyfriend, singer Jacob Sartorius, took issue with the actor's friendship with Drake. Lyrics from Sartorius's song "We're Not Friends" were believed to be aimed at Drake, per Us Weekly. Now, a few years later, Drake's friendship with Brown is back in the headlines after the actor celebrated a milestone birthday.
Drake reacts to viral TikTok
On February 22, a few days after Millie Bobby Brown's 18th birthday, a TikTok went viral for poking fun at the actor and Drake's relationship. TikToker Skylar Sheerman posted a video that featured a photo of Brown with the text "Drake after Millie's 18th birthday announcement." She added audio from "SpongeBob SquarePants" that mocked Drake by saying, "Finally, I've been trying to catch you boys all day." The TikTok went viral, garnering a reaction from the "Knife Talk" rapper himself. In response, Drake seemed to take it in stride. "Loool," he wrote, per Page Six.
Although Drake seemingly found the TikTok mocking his friendship with Brown humorous, some fans were still uneasy. "Ever sense [sic] the Millie Bobby Brown thing, something about Drake doesn't sit right with me, everything he does makes me cringe idk," one Twitter user wrote. "I just know Drake hit Millie Bobby Brown with an eight-paragraph birthday text with footnotes," another joked.
Meanwhile, Brown celebrated her birthday alongside her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi, the son of rock star Jon Bon Jovi. The "Stranger Things" star uploaded two snaps to Instagram on February 19, in which the pair wore Barbie and Ken-inspired outfits. A few days later, Brown continued her birthday celebration with another Instagram post of her posing solo in a sparkling dress.