Last November, during her annual interview with Vanity Fair, Billie Eilish said she had Drake‘s phone number and that the two texted each other.
At the time, Eilish was only 17, and the revelation stirred controversy online, with many calling Drake, 33, “creepy” for texting a minor.
Three months on, Eilish has responded to the backlash and defended the Toronto-based rapper in her third front cover interview with Vogue.
“Everybody’s so sensitive,” she said. “A grown man can’t be a fan of an artist? There are so many people that the internet should be more worried about.”
Eilish told Vanity Fair last year the two had “only texted,” adding that he’s “like, the nicest dude I’ve ever spoken to.”
“The internet is such a stupid a– mess right now,” the Bad Guy singer told Vogue.
“You’re really going to say that Drake is creepy because he’s a fan of mine, and then you’re going to go vote for Trump? What the f–k is that s–t?”
Drake has been criticized heavily for purportedly similar behaviour with Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown.
In 2018, the then-14-year-old claimed the two texted each other “about boys” during a red carpet interview.
On the details of those conversations, Brown, said, “That stays in the text messages.”
Brown, too, responded to the backlash in an angry Instagram story.
“Why you gotta make a lovely friendship your headline?” she wrote. “You 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. I’m very blessed to have amazing people in my life. You don’t get to choose that for me.”
In response to both Eilish and Brown’s supposed digital relationships with Drake, many seemed appalled, rushing to social media platforms with their opinions on the matter. Many accused Drake of “grooming.”
Here’s what some Twitter users had to say:
“@billieeilish, love you kiddo, but the internet is so ‘sensitive’ about @Drake texting you and other young girls because you’re being groomed by an older man,” wrote another user.
“He’s not your friend,” they added. “That’s what they say to make you feel safe and to make it feel like it was your idea.”
Though most were gobsmacked by Drake’s alleged actions, some of his supporters were there to back him up on Twitter — many of whom suggested there was “nothing seductive” or sexual about the texts to the then-underage stars.
“Both Millie Bobby Brown and Billie said there was nothing creepy or seductive about Drake texting them but I guess y’all would know more details about THEIR conversations than them,” tweeted another user.
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Global News has reached out to a representative of Drake seeking comment.