They found love in a once-hopeless place! Rihanna and Drake, who have dated on and off since 2009, have decided to take their relationship to the next level, multiple sources confirm in the new issue of Us Weekly.
“They’re together and he loves her,” a Drake insider reveals.
The “One Dance” rapper, 29, openly declared his adoration for the Barbados native, 28, while presenting her with the Video Vangaurd Award at the MTV VMAs on August 28. “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old,” said the music producer, who celebrated her win ahead of the VMAs with an L.A. billboard reading “Congratulations to Rihanna from Drake and Everyone at Ovo.” (She captioned an August 26 Instagram photo of the display, “When he extra” with a heart emoji.)
The two arrived hand in hand at her VMA afterparty, where they “were the center of attention,” says an observer. “He kept grabbing her around the waist. They were drinking champagne, dancing and having such a good time together.”
Following a date night at NYC’s Nobu the next evening, the pair — who met in 2005 while Rihanna filmed her “Pon de Replay” music video at the Toronto restaurant where Drake deejayed — jetted to Miami for his Summer Sixteen tour. “She was totally feeling the show and she couldn’t take her eyes off him,” says an eyewitness at the August 30 concert. The couple surprised the audience with a duet of her hit “Work,” which included an on-stage smooch.
The four-time collaborators continued the PDA at E11even post-show, acting like “lovebirds” all night, notes a nightclub source. The “Kiss It Better” singer put her feelings in ink on September 1, getting a tattoo from NYC artist Bang Bang of a plush shark Drake gifted her — the same image fans noticed on his right arm the next day.
Though sources noted the pop star hadn’t been ready for a commitment in the past, “She softened when she saw how over-the-top he was — his speech, the billboard, everything,” a Rihanna insider explains. “She’s also getting older now, so I think she’s maturing.”
The source adds that the Degrassi alum’s new defined physique also plays a role. “He’s really beefed up!” the insider observes. “She says he looks a lot better now and he’s winning her over. She’s always been his dream girl.”
Christina Garibaldi and Ian Drew dished on all the latest during Us Weekly‘s Facebook Live News Update. Check it out!
