Screengrab via NBC Universal Pete Davidson and his mother, Amy, pictured during her appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Amy Waters, Pete Davidson’s mom, has been a constant supporter of her son’s career and his personal life struggles. Davidson was born to Amy and her husband, Scott, in Staten Island in November 1993. Davidson’s mother is 50 years old, making her five years older than her son’s current girlfriend, British actress Kate Beckinsale, who is 45 years old.
Tragically, Scott Davidson, a firefighter, was killed during the 9/11 attacks in New York City when Davidson was seven. Davidson has incorporated his father’s passing into his comedy and has his father’s badge number tattooed on his arm. During an interview with the New York Times, Davidson said that he had been “overwhelmed” by his father’s death and would rip his hair out at school due to the stress of dealing with it. Amy and Scott also have a daughter who is younger than Davidson, Casey.
On December 15, Davidson caused panic as he posted a note on Instagram that read in part, “I really don’t want to be on this earth any longer.” The message also said, “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. Just before that message, Davidson talked about his pride in Kanye West speaking up about mental health issues.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. International suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Reports in August 2018 Said that Davidson’s Mother Was in ‘Love’ With Ariana Grande
GettyPete Davidson and Ariana Grande attend the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
US Weekly reported, citing an unnamed source, in August 2018 that Davidson’s mother had “grown to love Ariana and [could] see how much she loves Pete.” The source said that things were so good between Amy and Grande at the start of the couple’s ill-fated relationship but it had gotten better because the pair had gotten to know each other.
The magazine’s source added, “Pete’s mother was very nervous about his relationship with Ariana when they started dating. She knows her son goes through manic episodes and thought he was rushing into a relationship and would wind up getting hurt.” The source also said that Grande and Davidson were a “perfect fit. And they are very much in love. They are both constantly making each other laugh.” Less than two months later, the couple announced that they had broken up.
In June 2018, Entertainment Tonight reported that Amy had met Ariana for the first time at the New York City restaurant Zuma. A source told the website, “Pete introduced Ariana to his mother at Zuma in New York during one of the “SNL” after-parties. Ariana spent the majority of the night hanging out with her [Amy Waters Davidson]. Pete was circulating the room with the cast but Ariana was super comfortable being with [Amy].”
2. Amy Said Davidson’s Mental Illness Led to Him Being Treated as a ‘Lab Rat’ by Doctors
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Amy told the New York Times in an October 2015 interview about her son that, “It was sad how sad he was growing up,” as a result of his father’s death. Amy added that she felt her son had been used as a “lab rat” by doctors who were seeking ways to treat the relatives of the victims of 9/11.
During the same interview, Amy said that she would regularly drive her son into Manhattan from their home in the Great Kills neighborhood of Staten Island for stand-up gigs. She said, “He had a tough time growing up without a dad — I wanted him to be happy, and this made him really, really happy.” The article, which was published after Davidson had joined the “Saturday Night Live” cast, adds that Amy was still handling her son’s bills.
3. Amy Has Made Multiple Appearances on ‘Saturday Night Live’
On the May 2018 Mother’s Day episode of “Saturday Night Live,” Davidson has paid tribute to his mother in person. As cast members’ mothers were introduced to the audience in a sketch, it was the Davidsons who closed it out. Amy tells her son, “I’m so proud of you, Pete. I just don’t like it when you do all the penis jokes.” To which Davidson responds, “Well, not tonight mom — because Mother’s Day is all about vaginas.”
In 2016, Amy made a similar appearance in which her son paid another tribute to her raising him and his sister as a single mother during the show’s “Weekend Update segment. Amy’s first appearance came in the 2015 Mother’s Day episode which saw cast members apologize to their parents for their youthful transgressions.
4. In 2009, Amy Described Her Husband’s Death as ‘Still Raw’
The Staten Island Advance caught up with Amy in a 2009 feature on the lives of the families of the victims of 9/11. Amy told the newspaper that her husband’s death was “still raw.” Amy described Christmas as being “especially tough for our son who was little when it happened. It’s still raw, and it’s not going to get any better.” Scott Davidson was born in Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island with his family in the 1970s, according to his obituary. Davidson’s firehouse was based in Brooklyn. His tribute quoted Scott’s father, Davidson’s grandfather saying, “He has passed on his inherent love of all sports to them. Peter has been active in football, baseball and basketball and Casey already shows athletic promise.” Casey Davidson was a high school basketball star on Staten Island.
5. In 2016, Davidson Said His Mother Bought Him Condoms as a Gift in His Teenage Years
Davidson said in a 2016 comedy special that in his teenage years, his mother bought him condoms as a gift. Davidson said his mother “had to a lot of weird s***” in order to make up for having lost his father. Davidson says, “I just wanted to be like, ‘Ma, who the f*** do you think your son is? I never even brought a friend home, what made you think i was out there slinging p****.”
During the same Comedy Central special, Davidson said that he was going to go to rehab as a Christmas present for his mother. In March 2017, Davidson appeared on “Saturday Night Live” to say that he had successfully gone through rehab. Davidson said in an Instagram post at the time, “Just wanted to let you guys know I’m okay. I know I’ve kinda been missing, on social media and on the show. quit drugs and am happy and sober for the first time in 8 years. It wasn’t easy, but I got a great girl, great friends and I consider myself a lucky man. I’ll always be here for you guys, I promise. Remember to never give up hope because sometimes that’s all we got. We are a family and I appreciate all your love and support. It’s nice to be back in action.”
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