Throughout her history with Drake, Rihanna has had the push/pull type of relationship with him. Ultimately, Drake was the third wheel in her ongoing saga with Chris Brown. As everyone is now older, there is no longer any tension.
But, Drake is known to go all out for the women he loves. In 2016, there were rumors of Drake and Rihanna finally officially becoming a couple, fueled by “Work,” Rihanna’s breakout single. The song definitely put them back in each other’s orbit.
That same year, Rihanna and Drake did the VMAs, and things got even more awkward, ending in a kiss. During her cover interview with Vogue, Rihanna finally spoke on this. Among other things, she said that the whole thing made her “very uncomfortable” and she has no feelings for him, other than indifference.
It was one of the most memorable appearances of her career, with a medley of songs performed throughout the night and a string of jaw-dropping wardrobe transformations. And yet the whole event was overshadowed by a more titillating chapter in pop-culture history: After taking out a billboard in Los Angeles a couple of days earlier congratulating Rihanna, Drake presented her with the award while professing his undying love for her on live TV. Suddenly what should have been her big moment became all about him.
Rihanna winces slightly at the mention of the rapper’s name before her eyes glaze over with cool indifference. “The VMAs is such a fan-focused awards show, so having that energy around me, and knowing the people who had received the award in the past, made it feel like a big deal,” she says. “Waiting through that speech was probably the most uncomfortable part. I don’t like too many compliments; I don’t like to be put on blast.” When I ask about the current state of their friendship, her attitude is sanguine. “We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is.”
