Drake’s ongoing trolling of Joe Budden following the release of $ome $exy $ongs 4 U has taken an unexpected turn — and it’s not sitting well with Melyssa Ford. On a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Ford expressed outrage after discovering her image featured on one of Drake’s new pieces of merchandise, released in tandem with the highly anticipated “NOKIA” music video.
The item in question: a $220 hoodie, prominently featuring a vintage photo of Ford — a former video vixen — with a red lollipop in her mouth. The image appears on the back of the hoodie, accompanied by the text “videovixen.ca.” For context, “.ca” is Canada’s equivalent of “.com,” a nod to Drake’s Toronto roots.
Interestingly, clicking on the link “videovixen.ca” reportedly redirects users to Joe Budden’s Patreon page — and at times, to Melyssa Ford’s YouTube channel homepage. While Budden found humor and even appreciation in the unexpected cross-promotion, saying, “That’s dope. That’s super dope. I f*ck with that,” Ford’s reaction was the polar opposite.
She was livid.
“What the fck is going on?! Where’s my check? Where’s my fcking check? That’s what the f*ck I want to know,” Ford exclaimed, furious that Drake used her likeness without permission. She stated on-air that she’s already reached out to Drake and is exploring her rights to the photo, which she says originated from her debut calendar — potentially giving her legal standing for compensation.
This marks a dramatic shift from Ford’s previous stance. Earlier in the $$$4U era, she embraced Drake’s shoutout on the track “GIMME A HUG,” where he referred to her as “a legend from the six” — even though the line doubled as a jab at Budden.
Ford and Drake’s relationship has long been shrouded in speculation. Years ago, rumors swirled that the two were romantically linked, even while Drake was reportedly seeing Toccarra Jones. Though Ford has never confirmed a relationship, she has admitted in past interviews that she “really f*cking adored him.”
Now, however, it appears that admiration has turned into agitation — and possibly a legal dispute — as their history grows even more complicated.
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