A look at Rihanna and Drake’s on-and-off relationship through the years

From electrifying music collaborations to headline-grabbing appearances, Rihanna and Drake kept fans on an emotional rollercoaster for years, perpetually igniting speculation about the enigmatic status of their relationship or friendship.

The phrase “just friends” seemed to be their go-to answer whenever prodded about their connection. However, in a revealing 2018 Vogue interview, Rihanna unequivocally declared that they were no longer even friends.

Since then, Rihanna has moved on romantically, finding love with the musician A$AP Rocky, with whom she now shares two children. But with Drake’s recent album release, “For All the Dogs,” fans are dissecting the lyrics and speculating that the rapper is taking jabs at both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, especially in tracks like “Fear of Heights,” “Virginia Beach,” and “Another Late Night.”

In “Fear of Heights,” Drake recurrently mentions “Anti,” the title of Rihanna’s latest album, and questions, “Why they make it sound like I’m still hung up on you?” In “Virginia Beach,” he seemingly references Rihanna’s new relationship with lyrics like, “Drawin’ conclusions like you got a Parsons degree or somethin’/ I coulda treated you better, that’s crazy.” (Rihanna has an honorary degree from Parsons School of Design.) On “Another Late Night,” Drake appears to target A$AP Rocky with the line, “I ain’t Pretty Flacko,” a nod to Rocky’s nickname, suggesting that things have gotten rocky between them.

However, before Rihanna declared the end of their friendship, Drake famously professed his love for her during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, leaving the world to wonder: where did it all go wrong?

Here, we take a deep dive into the complex history of Rihanna and Drake, spanning from their first encounter in 2005 to their recent public spats in 2023.