A controversial friendship. Chris Brown and Drake proved their long-standing feud is over by ringing in the new year together, but people are not happy with the relationship.
Chris Brown and Drake attend The Mod Sèlection Champagne New Years Party Hosted By Drake And John Terzian at Delilah on December 31, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for The h.wood Group
The rapper, 32, hosted a New Year’s Eve party on Monday, December 31, which the “Loyal” singer, 29, attended. “2019 cook up…Aubreezy,” Drake wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, January 2, referring to his real first name, which is Aubrey, and Brown’s nickname, which is Breezy. There was speculation that the caption may be a hint at an upcoming collaboration between the musicians, but some fans are less than thrilled about that prospect, especially because of their connection to Rihanna.
One Twitter user wrote, “Sooooo no one else thinks it’s literally gross that Drake is actual friends with Chris Brown? Like real life friends? After everything!?… Wasn’t Rihanna like the love of your life? Ughhhh another example of men not being s—t,” and another added, “Not holding your bros accountable is part of the problem.”
The “Don’t Judge Me” crooner was arrested in 2009 after he physically assaulted Rihanna, 30, whom he was dating at the time, causing injuries that required a hospital visit. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to five years of probation, as well as community service and domestic violence counseling. The “We Found Love” songstress eventually forgave Brown and a source told Us Weekly in November that the pair still keep in touch.
“Chris and Rihanna continue to be in frequent contact with each other,” the insider explained. “They are extremely supportive of each other’s projects.”
Several years later, the “Diamonds” singer worked with Drake on their song “What’s My Name,” and were linked romantically shortly thereafter. The pair dated on and off for seven years before Us confirmed their split in October 2016.
“We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either,” Rihanna told Vogue in May of her current relationship with Drake. “It is what it is.”
The Toronto native’s feud with Brown dates back to June 2012, when the musicians and their entourages got into a violent brawl over RiRi at an NYC club. “It was lot of pushing and shoving,” an observer told Us at the time. “People were picking up ice buckets in case they had to throw it. They tore the club apart. It was bad. People went to the hospital!”