Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He began his career in the early 2010s with minor guest roles on ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'', ''
Friends of the People'', ''
Guy Code'', and ''
Wild 'n Out'' before being hired as cast member on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
late-night sketch comedy series ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' which he starred in for eight seasons from
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
to
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
.
Following his rise to prominence on ''SNL'', Davidson starred in and executive produced the comedy film ''
Big Time Adolescence'' (2019), and co-wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama film ''
The King of Staten Island'' (2020), and the
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
series ''
Bupkis'' (2023). He continued acting in films such as
''The Suicide Squad'' (2021), ''
Bodies Bodies Bodies'', and ''
Meet Cute
A meet cute is a scene in media, in which two people meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances, and go on to form a future romantic couple.
This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies, though it c ...
'' (both 2022). Davidson has also released three comedy specials: ''Pete Davidson: SMD'' (2016), ''Pete Davidson: Alive from New York'' (2020), and ''Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli'' (2024).
Early life and family
Peter Michael Davidson
was born on November 16, 1993 in the
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
borough of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to parents Amy (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Waters) and Scott Matthew Davidson.
Scott was a
New York City firefighter for Ladder 118 who died in service during the
September 11th attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, along with the rest of his unit.
He was last seen running up the stairs of the
Marriott World Trade Center
The New York Marriott World Trade Center, also known as 3 World Trade Center (3 WTC), was a 22-story, 825-room hotel in New York City, within the original World Trade Center complex in downtown Manhattan. It opened in April 1981 as the Vista I ...
in
Downtown Manhattan just before the building was destroyed when the
Twin Towers collapsed. His
Requiem Mass
A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is u ...
was held at
St. Clare's Catholic Church in
Great Kills, Staten Island. Davidson, then aged seven, was profoundly affected by the loss. He told ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that it was "overwhelming" and that he later acted out in school as a result of the trauma, at one point ripping his hair out until he was bald.
In October 2016, he revealed on ''
The Breakfast Club'' morning radio show that he struggled with suicidal thoughts when he was younger and that the music of
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
saved his life.
Davidson's father was predominantly of
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
ancestry,
with some distant
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Irish and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
roots. His mother is of mostly Irish ancestry, with some distant German roots.
He has a younger sister named Casey,
and was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.
Davidson attended
St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, and then
Tottenville High School in
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
, before transferring to
Xaverian High School
Xaverian High School is an independent Catholic high school located in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, serving grades 6 through 12. Grades 9-12 offer a college preparatory program and grades 6-8 are middle school.
History
T ...
in
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Sunset Park to the north, Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, Dyker Heights to the east, the Nar ...
and graduating from there in 2011. After high school, Davidson enrolled at
St. Francis College in
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south ...
,
which he attended for one semester upon which he decided to
drop out to pursue a full-time career in comedy.
He first tried stand-up comedy at age sixteen in a Staten Island bowling alley, where a group of friends that included future professional baseball player
Matt Festa, knowing of his comedy aspirations, dared him to take to the stage.
Career
Early career (2013–2014)

Davidson's earliest onscreen appearance was in the third episode of the MTV comedy series ''Failosophy'', which premiered February 28, 2013.
The following month, he appeared in "PDA and Moms", a third-season episode of the
MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, through PMN’s MTV Entertainment Group Subdivision.
The channel launched initially as an all-music ...
reality TV comedy series ''
Guy Code'', the first of four episodes in which he was featured.
That June, his first televised standup aired as part of a second-season episode of the
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
program ''Gotham Comedy Live'', which showcases standup comedians at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. The following month, he returned to MTV2 with an appearance on ''
Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out'', his first of six appearances on that show. He subsequently made standup appearances on television and appeared in ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
''.
In 2014, he acquired a role in a Fox comedy pilot, ''Sober Companion'',
but it ultimately did not make it to series.
''Saturday Night Live'' and breakthrough (2014–2022)
Davidson joined the cast of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' with the show's 40th-season premiere, which aired on September 27, 2014. At age 20, he was the first ''SNL'' cast member to be born in the 1990s and one of the youngest cast members ever.
The first new addition to the cast that season,
Davidson was given a chance to audition for the show through regular
Bill Hader
William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...
, whom he had met while filming a small part in the 2015
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films ''The 4 ...
feature film comedy ''
Trainwreck''.
Hader subsequently told producer
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He created and produced ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and produced the ''Late Night (franchise) ...
about him. His debut garnered positive critical notice,
with his most noted skits during the season including an ''
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
''-style sketch in which he and
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, after being pelted with poison darts, were forced to mutually suck poison out of each other's various body parts,
an endeavor that eventually found them entangled in the
"69" position.
Another involved Davidson being shot in the chest with an arrow by
Norman Reedus
Norman Mark Reedus (born January 6, 1970) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in the 1990s, starring in the role of Murphy MacManus in ', followed by supporting roles in successful box office films ''8MM,'' '' Blade II'', and ''Amer ...
.
Over the years, Davidson played a number of characters, the most famous being
Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
, an easily distracted apathetic man who first appeared in the
season 41 episode hosted by
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus ( ; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. She has gained acclaim for starring in a string of successful comedy series as well as several comedy films. She has received List of awards ...
, as a pool boy who becomes entangled with a lonely housewife.
In March 2015, Davidson was a roaster on the ''
Comedy Central Roast'' of
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
, and his set was praised as one of the best of the show.
Among his bolder jokes was one at the expense of fellow roaster
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
, host
Kevin Hart
Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
After winning se ...
, and their 2004 film ''
Soul Plane
''Soul Plane'' is a 2004 American black comedy Parody film, parody film directed by Jessy Terrero (in his List of directorial debuts, feature film directorial debut). The film stars Tom Arnold (actor), Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man and Sn ...
''. Davidson, whose firefighter father died responding to the September 11 attacks, called the film "the worst experience of
islife involving a plane".
In 2016, he was placed on the
''Forbes'' 30 under 30 list.
In April of that year,
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
filmed Davidson's first stand-up special, ''Pete Davidson: SMD'', in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
In January 2019, it was announced that Davidson would be touring with
John Mulaney in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, and
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
for a limited series of comedy shows titled "Sundays with Pete & John". Mulaney and Davidson became close after appearing together on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
'' and ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''.
That May, after the
44th-season finale of ''SNL'', Travis M. Andrews of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' credited Davidson with being the most memorable performer that season and its breakout star, which Andrews attributed to Davidson's mining of his personal struggles and his admission of his comedic missteps, which Andrews felt gave the season a mixture of comedy and pathos.
Davidson collaborated with
Machine Gun Kelly to write the sketch "A Message from the Count" for Kelly's album ''
Hotel Diablo''. In 2019 he starred in Jason Orley's ''
Big Time Adolescence'', and had supporting roles in
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964) is an American film director, producer, writer, dancer, author, actor, and choreographer. He was a permanent judge on seasons 6–7 of the television program ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV ...
's ''
What Men Want'',
Jeff Tremaine
Jeff Tremaine (born September 4, 1966) is an American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-creating the MTV reality stunt show ''Jackass (TV series), Jackass'' with Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville.
...
's ''
The Dirt'',
Thurop Van Orman
Mark "Thurop" Ashton Van Orman (born April 26, 1976) is an American cartoonist, animator, writer, producer, director, and voice actor. He worked with Cartoon Network to create and produce the animated series '' The Marvelous Misadventures of F ...
's ''
The Angry Birds Movie 2'', and
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
's ''
The Big Lebowski
''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, directed, produced and co-edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. It follows the life of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted ...
''
spin-off
Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media
*Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine
* ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...
''
The Jesus Rolls''. In February 2020, Davidson released his stand up special ''Alive from New York'' on Netflix.
In May 2020, ''
The King of Staten Island'' was released, which Davidson both starred in and co-wrote with
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films ''The 4 ...
, who also directed. Davidson was nominated for The Comedy Movie Star of 2020 for his work in ''The King of Staten Island'' and The Comedy Act of 2020 ''Pete Davidson: Alive from New York'' at the
46th People's Choice Awards.
In April 2021, Davidson was cast as
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist and founding member of the punk rock band Ramones, with Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone. His ...
in a
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
biopic ''I Slept With Joey Ramone'', based on the late singer's brother's memoir of the same name. Davidson will also serve as co-writer and executive producer.
In August 2021, he appeared as
Blackguard in ''
The Suicide Squad'' directed by
James Gunn
James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with ''Tromeo and Juliet'' (1996). He then began working as a director, starting wi ...
.
He voiced
Marmaduke
''Marmaduke'' is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson (cartoonist), Brad Anderson from November 15, 1954 to 2015.
Publication history
The strip was created by wri ...
in an
animated film
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
released on Netflix on May 6, 2022.
Following lengthy absences in
season 47, it was announced shortly before its finale that it would be Davidson's last on ''Saturday Night Live''.
Stardom and ''Bupkis'' (2023–present)
In 2023, Davidson starred in the
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
original series ''
Bupkis'', which he also co-wrote.
The series debuted to mixed reviews with ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' describing it as "messy" and compared it unfavorably to other shows, writing, "Though every piece seems to come from somewhere else, a derivative streak that undercuts the touches of personal specificity. Pete’s existential ambling suggests a dumber ''
Louie'', his travails in the surreal demimonde of celebrity suggest a dumber ''
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
'', and his dealings with his coterie of hangers-on suggest a slightly less-dumb ''
Entourage''."
Despite Peacock renewing the series for a second season, Davidson chose to not move forward with one.
In 2023 Davidson acted in three high-profile action franchise films. He appeared as Phlektik in ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'', Bowie in ''
Fast X
''Fast X'' is a 2023 American action film directed by Louis Leterrier from a screenplay written by Dan Mazeau and Justin Lin, both of whom also co-wrote the story with Zach Dean. It is the sequel to ''F9 (film), F9'' (2021), the tenth main ins ...
'', and voiced Mirage in ''
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''.
Comedy style

Davidson has been praised for basing his comedy on his own life and employing aspects of his life that have been likened to "a series of brutal truths and vulgar confessions" which make him relatable to audiences. He touches upon topics such as marijuana, sex, and relationships. He talks about incidents from his awkward high school experiences to living in a dormitory during his brief stint at
St. Francis College.
He jokes about highly sensitive subjects, including the loss of his father during the September 11 attacks. He says he finds that it empowers him to address the feeling of powerlessness that experiencing such tragedy at a young age inflicted upon him.
Personal life
In October 2015, Davidson lived in
Brooklyn Heights, New York.
In 2019, he lived in
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
with his mother in a home they purchased together.
In April 2021, he moved into his own residence in Staten Island.
In February 2022, Davidson announced plans to move from Staten Island to Brooklyn to be closer to work.
Davidson is godfather of Leo, the son of fellow comedian and friend
Ricky Velez.
He is close friends with
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
pitcher
Matthew Festa; the two were classmates at
St. Joseph by the Sea High School.
Davidson at one time had many tattoos, but had about 200 removed by 2025, intending to keep two or three, "trying to clean slate it, trying to be an adult".
Davidson supported
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
in the
2016 U.S. presidential election, and on December 5, 2017, he stated on his
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account that he got a tattoo on his leg of Clinton, whom he called his "hero", a "badass", and "one of the strongest people in the universe". Clinton herself thanked Davidson for the compliment, joking: "This makes it significantly less awkward that I've had a Pete Davidson tattoo for years."
He supported
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
in the
2020 U.S. presidential election.
In 2023, Davidson, along with fellow ''SNL'' comedian
Colin Jost, purchased a decommissioned
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a fare-free passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the Boroughs of New York City, New York City boroughs of Manh ...
boat.
The ferry was used in the film ''
Screamboat''.
Health
Davidson was diagnosed with
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Complications outside of the ...
at age 17 or 18, for which he receives intravenous
biologic therapy, and has used
medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to Cannabis (drug), cannabis products and cannabinoid, cannabinoid molecules that are prescription drug, prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabi ...
for pain management and recreationally.
On March 6, 2017, Davidson announced on his Instagram account that he had quit drugs and was sober for the first time in eight years.
During an interview on comedian
Marc Maron
Marc David Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Maron was a frequent guest on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and appeared more than forty times ...
's podcast, Davidson clarified that the only drug he used was marijuana and, while he has since cut back on its use considerably, the personal and emotional problems he initially assumed were the result of his daily marijuana use were actually caused by his newly diagnosed
borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, an acute fear of Abandonment (emotional), abandonment, and intense emotiona ...
, for which he has since been undergoing treatment.
On December 3, 2018, Davidson shared a candid
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
post in which he expressed thoughts of suicide, before deleting his account on the social media platform entirely.
The
New York Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
conducted a
wellness check on Davidson in response to social media posts from followers and former fiancée
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
.
Davidson had been at the ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' studio at the time preparing for the last episode of the year before its holiday hiatus. Davidson and
John Mulaney, comedian and former ''SNL'' writer, made humorous references to the Instagram post during the ''
Weekend Update
''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast and been featu ...
'' segment of the first episode following the holiday hiatus on January 19, 2019.
Relationships
Davidson dated comedian
Carly Aquilino from 2014 until 2015
and actress
Cazzie David
Cazzie Laurel David (born May 10, 1994) is an American scriptwriter and actress. David co-created and co-starred in the web series ''Eighty-Sixed'' (2017'').'' Her first collection of essays ''No One Asked For This'' was released in 2020''.'' S ...
from 2016 to 2018.
In May 2018, he started dating singer
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
after her breakup with
Mac Miller
Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known by the stage name Mac Miller, was an American rapper. He began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop music, hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed ...
.
In June 2018, Davidson confirmed he was engaged to Grande, but the engagement was called off in October 2018 after Mac Miller's death.
Grande's song about Davidson, titled "
Pete Davidson
Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He began his career in the early 2010s with minor guest roles on ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', ''Friends of the People'', ''Guy Code'', and ''Wild 'n O ...
", appears on her 2018 album ''
Sweetener
A sweetener is a substance added to food or drink to impart the flavor of sweetness, either because it contains a type of sugar, or because it contains a sweet-tasting sugar substitute. Various natural non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) and artificial s ...
''. She also referenced him in her song "
Thank U, Next" with the lyric, "Even almost got married / And for Pete I'm so thankful".
The relationship is also notable for popularizing the term "
Big Dick Energy".
In January 2019, Davidson was reported to be in a relationship with actress
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress. The only child of actors Richard Beckinsale and Judy Loe, she debuted in the series premiere of the 1975 daytime drama ''Couples.''
In 1993, she made her theatrical film deb ...
, twenty years his senior, but by April they had "called time on their romance".
In response to media comments about the age difference, he said that such an age gap was new to him and that the media should ask older men in longer relationships with younger women such as
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
,
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
,
Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American TV and radio host presenter, author, and former spokesman. He was a WMBM radio interviewer in the Miami area in the 1950s and 1960s and beginning in ...
, and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
about it.
He also dated actress
Margaret Qualley, daughter of
Andie MacDowell until their relationship ended in October 2019.
He was involved with model
Kaia Gerber
Kaia Jordan Gerber (born September 3, 2001) is an American model and actress. After starring in a series of ad campaigns for fashion brands since debuting at New York Fashion Week, Fashion Week in 2017, Gerber won Model of the Year at the The Fa ...
from October 2019 to January 2020.
In August 2021, he split from ''
Bridgerton
''Bridgerton'' is an American alternative history regency romance television series created by Chris Van Dusen for Netflix. Based on the book series Bridgerton (novel series), of the same name by Julia Quinn, it is Shondaland's first scripted ...
'' actress
Phoebe Dynevor, daughter of actress
Sally Dynevor
Sally Jane Dynevor (née Whittaker; born 30 May 1963) is an English actress, she is best known for her role as Sally Metcalfe in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she has played since 1986. In 2022, Dynevor competed in the fourt ...
, after a five-month relationship.
Davidson and
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
were first spotted out together in October 2021 following Kardashian's appearance on ''Saturday Night Live''.
During her time hosting an episode of SNL, the two shared an on-screen kiss in a Disney-themed sketch, where they played
Jasmine
Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...
and
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
.
They began dating in November 2021.
Previously, Kardashian filed for divorce from husband
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
in February 2021.
Following a very public split, Kardashian was legally declared single by a judge in March 2022.
West referenced the relationship in his 2022 track "Eazy", in which he threatens to "beat Pete Davidson's ass".
The music video for Eazy depicted a claymation figure of Davidson being kidnapped, buried, and showed his severed head.
West further attacked Davidson on Instagram in February of the same year, calling him a "dickhead" and "Hillary Clinton's ex boyfriend".
In August 2022, Davidson and Kardashian split up after nine months of dating.
Between December 2022 and August 2023, Davidson dated actress
Chase Sui Wonders.
The two met on the set of ''
Bodies Bodies Bodies'' and she later co-starred in Davidson's streaming series ''
Bupkis''.
He dated actress
Madelyn Cline from September 2023 to July 2024.
In 2025, Davidson spoke about all the media attention surrounding his relationships stating: "It was pretty humiliating and upsetting, honestly. Everyone is dating everyone and it's Hollywood ... But because I'm ugly, they wrote about me. I was harassed for like five years and it made my life a living hell."
In March 2025, Davidson started dating model
Elsie Hewitt.
Pete Davidson wants to ‘do things differently’ with new girlfriend Elsie Hewitt after past high-profile relationships
/ref>
Space flight
In March 2022, spaceflight company Blue Origin
Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P. is an American space technology company headquartered in Kent, Washington. The company operates the suborbital New Shepard rocket and the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket. In addition to producing engines for its own ...
announced that Davidson would be an "honorary guest" alongside five paying customers onboard NS-20, a suborbital flight of its New Shepard
New Shepard is a Reusable launch vehicle, fully reusable Sub-orbital spaceflight, sub-orbital launch vehicle developed for space tourism by Blue Origin. The vehicle is named after Alan Shepard, who became the List of space travelers by nationali ...
craft planned for later that month. However, the flight was rescheduled, and Blue Origin announced that Davidson was "no longer able" to join the crew of the craft.
Car crash incident
On March 4, 2023, Davidson crashed his car into a house while driving late at night. No one was injured in the crash. He was later charged with a misdemeanor for "reckless driving", and agreed to complete 50 hours of community service and attend 12 hours of traffic school as part of a diversion program
A diversion program, also known as a pretrial diversion program or pretrial intervention program, in the criminal justice system is a form of pretrial sentencing that helps remedy the behavior leading to the arrest. Administered by the judicial ...
.
Controversies
Catholic Church–R. Kelly comparison
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn demanded an apology from Davidson in March 2019, after an ''SNL'' sketch where he compared the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
to R. Kelly, an entertainer who had been accused and subsequently convicted of pedophilia
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
. In the sketch, Davidson said, " ellyis a monster and he should go to jail forever. But if you support the Catholic Church, isn't that like the same thing as being an R. Kelly fan? I don't really see the difference, except for one's music is significantly better." In a statement posted on its website, the diocese criticized the "disgraceful and offensive skit" and added, "The faithful of our Church are disgusted by the harassment by those in news and entertainment, and this sketch offends millions. The mockery of this difficult time in the Church's history serves no purpose." Davidson's comments came after the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens agreed to a record $27.5 million settlement for sex abuse allegations in September 2018.
Dan Crenshaw
Davidson was criticized for mocking Republican congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, who wears an eye patch as a result of a wound incurred while serving in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. He compared Crenshaw to "a hitman in a porno movie" and added, "I'm sorry, I know he lost his eye in war or whatever." In response to backlash over the comments, Davidson apologized and appeared beside Crenshaw the following Saturday on an ''SNL'' Weekend Update
''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast and been featu ...
segment. Crenshaw accepted Davidson's apology and called on Americans to "never forget" the service and sacrifices of veterans.
Accolades
Filmography
Film
Television
Discography
See also
* List of people diagnosed with Crohn's disease
References
External links
*
Pete Davidson saying farewell to SNL
video on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Pete
1993 births
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
American comedy writers
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Irish descent
American people of Jewish descent
American people of German descent
American people of Italian descent
American sketch comedians
American stand-up comedians
Comedians from Staten Island
Living people
Male actors from Staten Island
People with Crohn's disease
People with borderline personality disorder
Xaverian High School alumni