Pete Davidson is pressing the reset button, literally burning away the past, one tattoo at a time. The comedian, known for his offbeat humor and chaotic charm, is undergoing full-body tattoo removal, and it’s not just about appearances. It’s personal.
In a refreshingly raw chat with Variety, Pete opened up about why he’s ditching the hundreds of tattoos he’s collected over the years. “I used to be a drug addict, and I was a sad person,” he said. “I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up.” That pain turned into ink. A lot of it. From random cartoons to cryptic doodles, his body became a canvas for trauma and escapism.
But now, that canvas is getting wiped clean. He’s going through intense, painful laser sessions to remove them all. And we’re not talking about a quick fix. It could take a decade to erase the entire collection. “It’s like putting your arm on a grill and burning off a layer,” Pete admitted. “It sucks, I’m not gonna lie.” Still, he’s pushing through, because every removal is one less reminder of darker times.
One particularly telling example? A tattoo of SpongeBob smoking a joint. “When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of ‘Oh yeah, you were a f****** drug addict.’” That version of Pete is gone, and he’s not interested in carrying visual baggage anymore.
But tattoos aren’t the only thing he’s critical of. Pete’s also got strong feelings about the digital world we’re stuck in. Growing up with flip phones and limited social media, he remembers anxiety even back then. Now, he feels for the younger generation. “They don’t even have a f****** shot,” he said. With constant notifications, curated feeds, and digital drama, the pressure is nonstop.
“It used to be that someone found out something and then you either called on your house phone or you met up and were like, ‘Hey, did you hear about this?’” Now? It’s doomscrolling, DMs, and daily anxiety.
Dating, too, is another mess thanks to tech. Pete Davidson, who’s been in the public eye for his high-profile relationships, says the internet makes everything harder. “We’re not supposed to see everyone’s s*** all day,” he said. His advice? Don’t let the digital noise affect your real-life behavior.
He’s not trying to sound like a guru or get preachy, just speaking from experience. And that’s what makes it hit. The guy who once inked every feeling onto his skin is now slowly letting go of all of it. No more SpongeBob. No more sad reminders. Just a guy trying to move forward, less ink, more clarity.
