Drake is under fire once again for his text messaging relationships with Millie Bobby Brown, Billie Eilish and other famous underage girls. Social media has already been weary of Drake, after Stranger Things star Brown revealed that the rapper texts her “boy advice.” Now, with a similar revelation from Eilish, users are re-examining the case.
Eilish revealed her friendship with Drake in an interview with Vanity Fair last month. She spoke highly of him, saying he is “the nicest dude” and she has “texted him,” but fans read between the lines. They noted that 17-year-old Eilish is the second underage girl to reveal her behind-the-scenes relationship with Drake.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Now, some writers and culture critics are calling for a closer look at Drake’s treatment of young women. The issue had many people uneasy on Twitter, saying they do not want to ignore rumors as past generations apparently have.
“Just read that Drake has been targeting Billie Eilish now and I’m so queasy,” one person tweeted. “I really, really don’t want to wait twenty years for Drake to get taken down like R. Kelly. How many minors will he get away with grooming? (Also see: Millie Bobby Brown.)”
“Does anyone else think it’s strange that Drake just has Billie Eilish and Millie Bobby Brown’s numbers? It’s definitely possible he’s just being a role model and it has to do with marketing but why’s a 32-year-old man texting girls under the age of 17?” added another.
Other users argued that these concerns were unfounded, and a product of the sensational news cycle and the times. This included Brown, who previously defended Drake in a post on her Instagram Story.
And by the way…a 32-year-old man who we know is texting two teenage girls is never *only* texting two teenage girls. If you get my drift…https://t.co/6JJPS0KjBG https://t.co/HNQheYso5c
โ [kie.ran] (@danblackroyd) December 2, 2019
“Why u gotta make a lovely friendship ur headline? U guys are weird… For real. I’m lucky to have people in the business extend their time to help me further my career and offer their wisdom and guidance,” she wrote. “I’m very blessed to have amazing people in my life. U dont get to chose that for me. it’s nice to have people understand what I do. Now get back to talking about real problems in the world other than my friendships… Jeez.”
However, some reasoned that Brown of all people was not equipped to discern whether Drake’s behavior was predatory, which is precisely the reason there is an age of consent in place. Writer Clarkisha Kent made this point in an editorial for Wear Your Voice Magazine titled “Drake Has No Business Texting Teenage Girls,” sharing a story about her own relationship with a youth pastor while she was underage.
So far, Drake has not responded to the outrage over his relationships with underage performers.