Keshia Chante denies rumors Drake is the father of her unborn child
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Keshia Chante is speaking out about rumors that she is expecting a child with Drake, hours after the rapper’s representative denied that he is the father.
Chante’s representative confirmed that the father of her unborn son is a public figure in music but did not identify him. The singer and TV host has kept her pregnancy private for almost eight months while protecting her family.
Keshia Chante keeps identity of her unborn child's father private
A representative for Chante told TMZ that her unborn son’s father is a “public figure in music.” The representative also said Chante is “protective of her family,” explaining why she kept her pregnancy under wraps till now.
While the representative denied that Drake is the father, no name was given. Rumors about Drake potentially welcoming another child began after Chante shared several photos from a maternity shoot on Tuesday, October 6, without naming the father.
She later told Hello! Canada that she is seven months pregnant with a baby boy and, when asked about her relationship status, said, “I’m unavailable.”
She did not reveal the identity of her unborn child’s father but described her partner as “brilliant and super creative” and someone who is “constantly doing things that I’m inspired by.” Chante added that she would love for her son to have his father’s mannerisms and swag.
She also said becoming parents was her partner’s idea. “I’m very free-spirited, and whatever the universe wants for me, I’ll have,” the 'Shook' singer said. “But he said he was ready. He set up the play and he nailed it! God bless him.”
In her initial social media announcement, Chante wrote, “Mommy & Daddy are so excited to welcome you into the world. Oh, and we’ve already got you booked & busy. Dada’s got your studio locked and we expect your album to drop summer 2027."
She tagged Casa Loma in Toronto as the location, an event venue Drake has been tied to on more than one occasion. Those references prompted many commenters to ask whether Drake was the father.
Keshia Chante and Drake share a long history
The duo have known each other for years and were childhood sweethearts who later became close friends. The Canadian artists dated around 2002 when Drake, then known by his birth name Aubrey Graham, was 14 and Chante was 13.
Drake has openly referred to Chante as his “first girlfriend.” The pair bonded as young Canadian artists in the industry. They are both biracial and only children with ties to the United States. Chante is also widely believed to have inspired 'Kiki', the woman referenced in his 2018 hit 'In My Feelings', which features the line, “Kiki, do you love me?”
In 2022, he spoke warmly about Chante while introducing her at his OVO Fest. He told the crowd that she was his “first girlfriend I ever had in my life” before calling her “a real legend, somebody I love with all my heart.”
Drake is already a father to eight-year-old son Adonis Graham, whom he shares with French artist Sophie Brussaux. He first revealed he was a father on his 2018 track 'March 14', rapping, “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world/ I was hiding the world from my kid.”