Pete Davidson Opens Up About Self Harm and His Tattoos

Pete Davidson is no stranger to the spotlight as a weekly cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and a frequent subject of tabloid news. However, he’s long strayed away from sharing his story with the press for fear of being misunderstood by the media. But, on February 24th, the day before the release of his special “Pete Davidson: Alive From New York,” on Netflix, an interview between Davidson and radio personality Chalamagne tha God was uploaded to YouTube.

In the interview, Davidson talks about why he’s shied away from print interviews and some of the struggles he’s been through in recent relationships. Davidson goes on to shed some light on his past failed relationships, admitting that his intensity and issues with mental health have negatively impacted his love life. When tha God asked Davidson to go into detail about his struggles with mental health, the comedian admitted that he’s self harmed in the past.

“I cut my chest,” Davidson shares. “That’s why I started getting tats on my chest, to cover them. It’s just a release, if you can’t get a tattoo… When [I’m] so manic and upset, sometimes that’s the only thing that will work for me.” Davidson goes on to share that going to rehab taught him healthy ways to cope with these feelings, such as taking a cold shower or listening to music, which has helped his recovery.

Davidson has found that tattooing is a way for him to exchange emotional pain with physical pain, which explains why he’s gravitated to getting tattooed following his breakups. For example, following his breakup with Ariana Grande, Davidson got the word “Cursed” tattooed on the back of his neck by NYC artist Jon Mesa, which covers the phrase “Mille Tendresse,” which Grande has in the same spot. Aside from his relationships, Davidson has also coped with the passing of his father, who was a firefighter who died in service during the September 11th attacks, through his tattoo collection. The top part of Davidson’s left sleeve is an homage to his father as well as the number “11” behind his left ear.

2019 was a tough year for Davidson, but 2020 will be the year that things turn around for the comic. Not only is his standup hitting the biggest streaming platform on the planet, but he has a number of movies premiering in the next several months. First up, “Big Time Adolescence” will hit Hulu on March 20th and bring together Davidson with his longtime friend Machine Gun Kelly. Then, on June 19th, “The King of Staten Island” hit theaters, which was directed by legend Judd Apatow, who brought audiences “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Pineapple Express,” and “Knocked Up.” He’s also been cast in an undisclosed role in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” which stars Margot Robbie and Viola Davis, and features performances by John Cena, Idris Elba, Nathan Fillion and Taika Waititi.