Drake “wanted” to start a family with his former partner Rihanna

A: Speaking during an appearance on LeBron James’ HBO series ‘The Shop’, Drake said: “As life takes shape and teaches you your own lessons, I end up in this situation where I don’t have the fairy tale, like, ‘Oh, Drake started a family with Rihanna and this is like so perfect.’ It looks so good on paper. By the way, I wanted that too at one time.”

The ‘Hotline Bling’ rapper and Rihanna first became linked in 2005 at a Toronto diner where Rihanna shot her music video for debut single ‘Pon De Replay’.

In 2016, Drake professed his love for the ‘What’s My Name’ singer whilst presenting her with the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Music Video Awards.

He said: “She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old. She’s one of my best friends in the world. She’s a living breathing legend in our industry.”

Later that year, sources said the pair had parted ways just a few months after making their romance official, and earlier this year, Rihanna said she is no longer close to her former flame.

She said: “We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is.”

Since their split, 30-year-old Rihanna has moved on with Saudi businessman Hassan Jameel, and Drake has since fathered a son named Adonis with French artist Sophie Brussaux.

Recently, Drake gushed about parenthood, stating he had learned "patience" and "unconditional love” since becoming a father.

He said: "[He has] crazy blue eyes - baby blue eyes. He's already in the pool shooting the basketball. I'm just excited. All of the things I've learned from and through my father and the incredible things I've learned through my mother about patience, about unconditional love."