Late Wednesday evening, Drake filed an amended complaint in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG). Why? You can likely guess. In short: The rapper really didn’t appreciate being called a pedophile at the Super Bowl.
In the filing, Drake claims Kendrick Lamar, the architect behind this year’s halftime show—the most-viewed halftime show of all time with over 133 million people across all viewing platforms—“assassinated” his character. And not only that, the certified lover boy asserted that the performance (and Lamar’s Grammy wins for “Not Like Us,” aka the petty anthem of the century) “introduced new listeners to the recording” which “duped” a wider audience “into believing that Drake was a pedophile.”
Though Lamar never actually said the word “pedophile” during the performance, everyone and their brother and bodega man knows the lyrics. According to the filing, Drake took similar offense to the insinuation that he likes “‘em young.” I mean, surely that’s not totally unfounded given his track record. While I understand being offended at being called a pedophile, one has to wonder whether Drake is also motivated by the bitterness that I imagine comes with watching his much cooler, infinitely more creative op get richer than you.
“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” the complaint said. Drake, if you’re reading this, I really must ask: You think you have it hard? Try being Janet Jackson in 2004. Also, you’re a rapper. You make millions by assassinating the character of other artists. And if we really want to talk about character assassinations, let’s recall what Drake said about Megan Thee Stallion on a 2022 track. Not only did he accuse her of lying about being shot by Tory Lanez, but he also insulted her intelligence. But I guess that’s neither here nor there.
UMG, the label that represents both Drake and Lamar, swiftly denied Drake’s latest allegations, and issued a statement that reads: “Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed a 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another.”
The latest filing arrives days after Serena Williams, who crip walked in Lamar’s performance, refuted the claim that it was pointed move at her ex brief fling circa 2015.
“Absolutely not,” she said to Time. “I would never do that.”
“Obviously I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not,” Williams added. “I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”
As someone with many negative feelings about Drake, I continue to giggle!
- Bill Belichick‘s girlfriend fancies them “birds of a feather” and “twin flames.” I can think of some other metaphors to describe them, but sure! [Page Six]
- Jessica Alba endorsed this message on Instagram: “I’ve seen endless criticisms of 5 women doing their space thing, I can’t see how it affects our lives. I wish people would show same energy & focus that anger towards fearlessly denouncing Trump’s abuses of power, which do affect countless lives in the US and the world.” Who’s going to tell her? [Daily Mail]
- Olivia Munn got her wedding dress from Anthropologie. [People]
- Meanwhile, John Mulaney just compared being a father to working on The Ellen Show. [Us Weekly]
- Kim Kardashian will testify in person at an upcoming trial over that 2016 jewelry heist in Paris. [The Hollywood Reporter]
- Unfortunately, we’ve been robbed of a Mikey Madison and Ryan Gosling collab…[Just Jared]
- But you know who is working together? Sandra Hüller and Colman Domingo! [Variety]
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