Honestly, the internet has a way of turning everything into a crime scene, and the Millie Bobby Brown and Drake relationship is basically the gold standard for that. Back in 2018, things went from "cute celebrity friendship" to "emergency headline" in about five seconds. People were spiraling. They were worried. And honestly? Some of it made sense, while some of it was just noise.
You've probably seen the screenshots. The "I miss you" texts. The red carpet interviews where a 14-year-old Millie talked about the 31-year-old rapper giving her boy advice. It felt weird to a lot of people. It still feels weird to some. But if you actually look at the timeline, the story is a bit more nuanced than a Twitter thread from six years ago.
How it Actually Started
It wasn't some shadowy meeting. They met backstage at his concert in Australia in November 2017. Millie was a fan. Drake, who actually started as a child actor on Degrassi, apparently saw a bit of himself in her sudden Stranger Things fame.
They took a photo. It got millions of likes. Classic Hollywood.
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But then Millie went on the Emmy's red carpet and told Access Hollywood that they text all the time. She said he's a "great role model" and that he gives her advice on boys. That was the spark. The internet didn't just catch fire; it exploded. People started using the word "grooming" almost immediately.
The Text Messages That Set the Web on Fire
There’s a specific quote that people always bring up. Millie mentioned that Drake once texted her saying, "I miss you so much," and she replied, "I miss you more."
In the context of a 17-year age gap, that phrase carries a lot of weight. For Millie, it was just two friends talking. For the public, it was a massive red flag.
She didn't take the criticism lying down. Not even close. She hopped on Instagram Stories and basically told everyone to get a life. She called the public "weird" for making a "lovely friendship" into a headline. She was 14 and felt like she was being protected by a veteran in the industry. She felt lucky.
Why This Friendship Still Matters in 2026
You might think this is old news, but it isn't. Not really.
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Drake actually brought it back up himself recently. In his song "Another Late Night" from the For All the Dogs album, he finally addressed the critics. He called them "weirdos" for talking about "some Millie Bobby." It was a classic Drake move—turning a years-long controversy into a lyric.
The reason people still talk about the Millie Bobby Brown and Drake relationship is because it sits at the center of a much bigger conversation about how we protect child stars. Hollywood is a meat grinder. We've seen what happened to stars in the 90s and early 2000s. When an adult man in a position of power becomes the primary "mentor" for a young girl, people are going to ask questions. They should.
The Contrast with Other Co-Stars
It’s interesting to look at how Millie described her other adult friendships. She once mentioned that Henry Cavill, her Enola Holmes co-star, was very "strict" with her. He set boundaries. He didn't want to know about her personal life in the same way.
That contrast is what stuck in people's minds. One adult was setting a professional wall, while the other was texting her about "boys" and saying he missed her.
The Reality Check
Is there proof of anything nefarious? No.
Millie Bobby Brown is now an adult. She’s engaged to Jake Bongiovi. She’s a powerhouse producer and business owner. In every interview where this comes up, she has defended Drake. She sees him as a part of her support system during a time when her life was becoming unrecognizable due to fame.
But the public's reaction wasn't just about her. It was a collective "once bitten, twice shy" response from a culture that has seen too many young stars get taken advantage of.
What We Can Learn from the Drama
If you're looking for a takeaway, it's probably about the "gray area." Not every unusual friendship is a crime, but not every "mentorship" is healthy either.
- Trust the boundaries: When child stars have clear, professional boundaries with adults (like the Cavill example), it usually signals a healthier environment.
- The Power of Narrative: Millie felt empowered by the friendship; the public felt she was being manipulated. Both things can feel true at the same time depending on who you ask.
- The "Child Actor" Connection: Drake’s background as Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi is a detail people often overlook. He actually lived the life she was going through, which is why she likely felt he "got" her.
The Millie Bobby Brown and Drake relationship will likely always be a footnote in both of their careers. It’s a reminder that in the world of A-list fame, the line between "supportive mentor" and "inappropriate" is often drawn by the audience, not the people in the room.
To get a better handle on how celebrity culture handles these dynamics, you should look into the history of the "mentor" system in Hollywood. It explains why these bonds form so quickly and why they almost always end up in the tabloids. You can also track Millie's recent interviews to see how her perspective has shifted—or stayed exactly the same—now that she's no longer that 14-year-old girl on the red carpet.