Pete Davidson may look as though he has everything going for him, but the comedian has lived a troubled life riddled with tragedy.
The former SNL comedian has become well-known not only for his acting chops but most recently for his famous relationship with A-list celebrity Kim Kardashian.
Although Pete has earned a name for himself in Hollywood, it didn’t come without trials and tribulations that shaped him into who he has become today.
Pete Davidson’s troubled early years included death and bullying
Pete was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, where his father worked as a firefighter. Sadly, Pete’s father, Scott, lost his life during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Scott ran into the building to rescue victims from the attack when the tower collapsed after being struck by a second plane, killing him. Pete was only 7 years old at the time.
Losing his father at an early age set Pete up for some challenges. According to his mom, Amy, Pete acted out unusually as a child, releasing his emotions in unconventional ways, such as pulling out his hair. Unfortunately, Pete was bullied as a child. He admitted during a 2016 interview with Peter Rosenberg, “I was in school having a rough time grieving so I was acting out a little bit. I didn’t have any friends.”
As a coping mechanism, Pete turned to comedy, taking the stage for the first time at age 16, where he felt he blended in. Pete’s mom Amy said of his aspiring comedy career, “He had a tough time growing up without a dad — I wanted him to be happy, and this [stand-up comedy] made him really, really happy.”
Pete lives with an incurable disease and mental illness
As if Pete wasn’t struggling enough as a child and adolescent, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease as a teenager. Crohn’s is a painful and debilitating, incurable autoimmune disease that sometimes leads to life-threatening complications. Symptoms often include constipation, pain and cramps, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding, among others.
Treatment has improved in the last 20 years for the disease, but the medications available for Irritable Bowel Disease aren’t always effective. Pete found that marijuana worked well to control the symptoms of his Crohn’s.
“I have Crohn’s disease, so it helps more than you can imagine,” Davidson said of cannabis in an interview with High Times. “There was a point where I couldn’t get out of bed (due to the pain). I was 110 pounds. I also just love smoking weed. I’ve been smoking weed every day for eight years.”
Pete’s drug use escalated, prompting him to seek treatment at an in-patient rehab facility for addiction. He also admitted that listening to Kid Cudi’s music helped get him through his darkest times in life.
In addition to being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Pete has also been diagnosed with a mental disorder known as Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD. In 2017, Pete went public with his BPD diagnosis in hopes that others suffering from the same disorder would seek treatment and find solace.
Pete has suffered with suicidal ideations, prompting the New York Police Department to do a well check on him in 2018 following his split from Ariana Grande. Pete’s tweet concerned his fans, which read, “I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last. All I’ve ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so.” Luckily, Pete was accounted for and nothing tragic came of the incident.
Pete, who uses tattoos as a coping mechanism, has certainly faced his fair share of tragedy in his 28 years. However, it looks as though things are looking up for the former SNL star as he and girlfriend Kim Kardashian are still going strong, 11 months after they were first linked as a couple.