Drake is one of the biggest rappers in the world today. The Canadian superstar has sold upwards of 260 million records, making him filthy rich in the process. With a massive entourage and an inner circle that boasts the likes of Beyoncé and The Weeknd, the rapper is living the high life, but he's also extended invites into his friend group from those you'd least expect.
In 2017, Drake and Millie Bobby Brown, from the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, have formed quite a close friendship, sparking a lot of questions as to how this all came to be. While their age gap has raised a few red flags, it's clear that the duo are, in fact, friends, so much that Millie had to put a stop to the incessant questioning.
The Stranger Things star is, after all, a teenager, while her celeb pal is a grown man, so this enigma requires a deep dive. Here's the truth about Drake's relationship with Millie Bobby Brown.
Updated on September 15, 2021, by Michael Chaar: In 2017, Drake and Millie Bobby Brown first met in Australia and have been close pals ever since. While their freindship sparked a few questions, fans began to grow concerned following text threads the two have been sharing with one another. After loads of questions, Millie made it clear that Drake is simply a mentor, who gives her great advice. The Canadian-rapper also found himself in the hot seat when it was revealed he'd also been texting with Billie Eilish. Despite the controversy, Millie has also befriended a number of other older celebs, including the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, and fans haven't blinked an eye about that. Well, it seems as if the backlash has since blown over, especially now that Drake is basking in the glory of the success of his newest album, Certified Lover Boy.
11 Let's Take A Look At That Age Gap
First off, we need to address the elephant in the room: Drake is a 34-year-old man, while Brown has only recently turned 17. While that may seem odd, it's actually not uncommon for adult celebs to befriend child stars; just look at Michael Jackson's friendship with Macauley Culkin.
10 How Drake And Millie First Met
The pair first met in Australia at the Brisbane Supernova Convention in 2017. At the time, Drake was 30, while Brown was a mere 13-year-old. Drake is a massive Stranger Things fan, so he fanboyed over Brown, who plays Eleven. It seems that they immediately hit it off and have been friends ever since.
9 He Texts Her Frequently
Ever since their first meeting, Drake has been texting Brown all the time. At the 2018 Emmy Awards, Brown openly spoke about her relationship with the rapper. "You know we text. We just texted each other the other day and he was like 'I miss you so much', and I was like 'I miss you more', he's great," the actress said.
Flexx Mag claims to have the receipts to Drake and Brown's text conversations. In the screenshots, Drake sends Brown a selfie then asks her to send one back; when she doesn't reply, he writes, "R u mad at me?" It should be noted that the veracity of the screenshots is unclear.
8 And She's Not The Only Teen Star He Texts
It turns out that Millie Bobby Brown isn't Drake's only teenage friend. When interviewed by Vanity Fair in 2019, Billie Eilish, who was 17 at the time, revealed that Drake had been texting her.
"I've only like texted him, but he's so nice," the teen songstress said. "Like, he does not need to be nice, you know what I mean? He's at a level in his life where he doesn't need to be nice, but he is, you know?"
7 Fans Think It's A Little Creepy
When it was revealed that Drake had been texting Brown, some fans said that they found it quite creepy. As one fan wrote on Twitter, "I am sorry, but after news came out a while ago that 33-year-old Drake was texting 14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown, this is creepy as hell."
With regards to Billie Eilish, fans have said that it's pretty normal for the singer to view Drake as merely being "nice" to her, but as Eilish gets older she will likely see the relationship as problematic. "I loved it when I was 17 and adult men wanted to know me," one Twitter user wrote. "It's only in hindsight that I found it weird, and it's really on adults to interrogate what 'being nice' actually means here."
6 But Some Say It's Sweet And Innocent
Not everyone thinks that Drake's relationship with Brown is inappropriate. As Reddit user arealhumannotabot wrote, "I don't know where the questionable comments come from, what I've read seems innocent. Like say one celeb who started young sees another and is friendly as way [sic] of being a positive mentor?"
It does make sense that child stars are inevitably going to befriend adult actors since kids are the minority in the industry. For instance, when making Taxi Driver, Jodie Foster was 12, while co-star Robert De Niro was 33. The elder actor adopted a mentor role and, according to a W Magazine interview with Foster, "it was De Niro who taught her the alchemy of acting"
5 Drake Gives Brown Boy Advice
What exactly does a man in his 30s have in common with a teenager? Well, it seems that Drake has adopted a mentor/big brother role. Talking to Access Hollywood, Brown explained that Drake gives her advice "about boys, he helps me". When asked about the details of this boy advice, Brown said that it "stays in the text messages", which some found a little troubling.
4 Brown Says She Loves Him
When interviewed on the red carpet in 2018, the then 14-year-old Brown said of her relationship with Drake, "I love him." Moreover, when posting a photo of herself and Drake on Instagram, Brown's caption simply read, "this guy..." followed by a red heart emoji. Fans didn't take too kindly to this, with one commenting, "highly sus activity".
However, others pointed out that people needed to stop looking too deeply into the relationship: "He's not even dating her or grooming her lmao she literally said they just TEXT", commented another fan.
3 Addressing The Backlash
Brown is not oblivious to the backlash that her friendship with Drake has garnered. In 2018, she addressed the unsavoury rumors. "Why u gotta make a lovely friendship ur headline? U guys are weird... For real." She explained that she felt blessed to have someone like Drake enable her career and offer wisdom and advice.
2 A Worrying Pattern Of Behavior Or Innocent Fun?
Many fans have been quick to pull out some skeletons from Drake's closet. In particular, fans have noted his penchant for dating teenagers. According to Vice, Drake met his ex Bella Harris when she was just 16-years-old. He has also been linked to Hailey Bieber, who would have been 19 at the time of their relationship in 2016, though he has known her since she was 14. Moreover, a video recently surfaced of Drake kissing and touching an underage girl at a concert in 2010.
1 Millie's Friendship With Mariah Carey
With regards to Millie Bobby Brown, it seems likely that the relationship is innocent. For instance, Brown is evidently aware of the dangers that girls face, as she has been vocal in her support of women's equality. What's more, she is friends with Mariah Carey, another adult celeb, but that relationship has not attracted any backlash whatsoever, mainly because Mariah's kids, Monroe and Moroccan, are fans of the show.