10 Things You Didn’t Know About SNL’s Pete Davidson

Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Pete Davidson has been a fairly open book about his personal life. His dating history is often on full display given the high-profile stars he has counted among his girlfriends. He revealed his struggle with marijuana use, depression, and mental health in many episodes of the show, interviews, and on social media.

Davidson’s comedic style is often self-deprecating, with the comedian finding therapy by making light of difficult situations. This is precisely why he has garnered such a dedicated legion of fans: he is open, honest, and unapologetically himself. With that said, there are still some things that even die-hard fans don’t know about the funny man.

His Father Died In 9/11

Fans might know that Davidson lost his father when he was just seven years old, which he has mentioned many times on the show. They might also know that his father was a firefighter and died in the line of duty. But what fans might not realize, unless they watch his movie The King of Staten Island, which was inspired by his father’s death, is that his father, Scott, died during the September 11 attacks in New York City.

According to The Sun, his father was last seen going into the Marriott World Trade Center hotel minutes before the second Twin Tower collapsed. He was later confirmed to be dead.

He Has A Tattoo Of His Father’s Badge Number

Davidson has plenty of visible tattoos, but there’s one, in particular, that is special and that has helped him come to terms with the death of his father. On his left arm is a tattoo that reads 8418. This is to honor his late father’s badge number from when he was a firefighter, according to The Sun.

Davidson reportedly has a total of 104 tattoos, ranging from a portrait of Hilary Clinton to a Game of Thrones reference. He also has a tattoo of a firefighter on his left arm. He has, however, over the last few years, been getting several removed, as he revealed on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

He Credits Kid Cudi’s Music With Saving His Life

Following the death of his father, Davidson went through tough times struggling with his mental health. During his most difficult times, he says the music of Kid Cudi helped him through, reports Yahoo.

In particular, Davidson cites Cudi’s debut album Man on the Moon, which was released in 2009 when Davidson would have been 16 years old, as having a major impact on him. The album included tracks like “Dan ‘n’ Nite,” “Make Her Say,” and “Pursuit of Happiness.”

He Was One Of The Youngest-Ever SNL Cast Members When He Joined

When Davidson joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2014, he was just 20 years old, making him the youngest cast member on the show at the time, and one of the youngest ever in the show’s history, reports ET Online.

Anthony Michael Hall was technically the youngest ever at just 17 while Eddie Murphy was only 19 when he joined the show. Robert Downey Jr, meanwhile, one of the shortest-lived cast members on SNL, was also 20 when he was joined.

He Was In Trainwreck

Blink and fans might have missed it, but Davidson had a very small role in the 2015 movie Trainwreck, which is what introduced actor Bill Hader to him. This led him to bring Davidson’s name up to SNL‘s Lorne Michaels as a really funny guy who might fit with the sketch comedy show.

In the movie, which was directed by Judd Apatow and written by (and starred) Amy Schumer, Davidson played a character known only as “Dr. Conner’s patient.” In his scene, he was simply lying on a table as Hader’s character checked his knee while having a conversation with Schumer’s character. The patient, giggling, revealed that his injury was from slipping on his Xbox due to being high on drugs.

He Has Borderline Personality Disorder

Davidson has been open about his struggles with mental health and addiction, but fans might not know that he did receive a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, according to The Independent. He said he felt relief after being able to put a name to what he had been feeling and experiencing.

He was diagnosed back in 2017, after which Davidson said he felt the “weight of the world” was lifted off his shoulders. “You feel so much better,” he said during a conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors series.

He Has Crohn’s Disease

Davidson was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract that can lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss, when he was a teenager, according to HealthGrades.com. He receives intravenous treatment for it and had been using medical marijuana to help manage the pain.

He is in good company with several other celebrities who suffer from the disease as well, including actor Shannon Doherty, footballer David Garrard, journalist and news anchor Cynthia McFadden, and Olympic swimmer Kathleen Baker.

He Was Discovered By Nick Cannon

Davidson was actually “discovered” by Nick Cannon when he was rising up the ranks as an up-and-coming stand-up comedian. Cannon had Davidson on his show Wild ‘N Out along with Guy Code on MTV, reports ET Online.

When he auditioned for SNL, he did his act for Bill Hader, who he had met on the set of the movie Trainwreck. Hader then told Lorne Michaels about him, according to Entertainment Weekly, and the rest is history. Now, many years later, Pete Davidson has some memorable SNL sketches.

A Woman Claimed To Be Married To Him

For all the relationships Davidson has had, one woman claimed a false one in March 2021. She said they were married, causing him to consult his lawyers over the false press release she issued, according to Vanity Fair. She not only claimed she was married to him but that he was a co-founder and silent partner in her business, Bodega Cats Presents, LLC.

Following the events, the woman also illegally entered his home, according to NBC New York, which led to trespassing and stalking charges against her.

His First Acting Gig Was On Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Continuing the ties to Saturday Night Live cast members of the past, Davidson’s first major acting gig was in a 2013 episode of the first season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which stars SNL alum, Andy Samberg. He appeared as the character Steven in the episode entitled “The Slump” in one of the funniest celebrity appearances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

His character attends the 99^th precinct’s program for at-risk kids, where they are being encouraged to pursue careers as junior police officers, a.k.a. “snitches.” During the seminar, however, he causes lots of trouble.

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