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For Sale Apr 23, 2026 at 5:09 PM

Pete Davidson Says He Doesn't Remember What He Was Like at the Start of His Career: 'I Was Such a Drug Addict'

Posted by peoplemagazine



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somesthetic 2 days ago +235
A lot of people seem to hate him. I’m more indifferent. I don’t quite understand his appeal, like I don’t understand the appeal of the kardashians. At least he has a sense of humor.
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dragonslayerbarbie 2 days ago +187
I was actually a fan of his until he went to Riyadh. He was the worst offender of all of them to me for playing that show since his dad literally died in 9/11.
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Sandy-the-Gypsy777 2 days ago +91
Totally agree. The one thing that stood out about him was the fact that he lost his firefighting dad in 9/11. Going there was equivalent to selling your soul.
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oooshi 2 days ago +29
Literally.
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untitledaccount401 1 day ago +20
Wow how did you find out he barely talks about it
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Public-Position7711 1 day ago -15
Can’t pay your bills with principles.
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bestbefour 1 day ago +5
You can pay your bills while having principles though.
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EuphoricMidnight3304 1 day ago +2
Skipping one show would cause him to not pay his bills?
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bestbefour 1 day ago +4
No, that’s my point.
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EuphoricMidnight3304 1 day ago +4
Oops my bad, got it now
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quietsauce 1 day ago +7
I remember watching mtv changing from music to reality television. I was a young teen appalled to see my friends get sucked into completely vapid entertainment. They almost instantaneously shifted. I am not a conspiracy person but cant help but conclude this is a massive psyop intended to drive a wedge into an impending and inevitable class consciousness battle that absolutely will play out.
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alabamdiego 17 hr ago +3
Uhh believing that quite literally makes you a conspiracy person. A big one at that.
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ActuatorTasty4982 8 hr ago +1
What so conspiracy theorists are just people who theorize about potential conspiracies now??
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Public-Position7711 1 day ago +4
Can you figuratively die in 9/11?
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partylange 1 day ago +6
You can literally die at any other time, place, and manner.
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Public-Position7711 1 day ago +2
But can you figuratively die?
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partylange 1 day ago +12
Yes, this conversation is literally killing me. I'm now figuratively dead.
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Alternativesoundwave 1 day ago +4
Yeah lots of people died on 9/11 but didn’t get the cancer diagnosis until years later but died because of their actions on that day. Firefighters recovering people from the rubble exposed to all sorts of chemicals died that day and didn’t find out until later. But people should still count them among those that literally died on 9/11 even if they just figuratively died that day.
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overcatastrophe 1 day ago +3
Adding on to this: 75% of America's firefighters are volunteer. And to make this more impressive, most of them would still run toward those buildings even knowing the outcome.
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overcatastrophe 1 day ago +2
Take the money and run. F*** them. Dad is dead either way, may as well phone it in and collect 500k or whatever it was.
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scruffigan 1 day ago +1
In 2026, it's worth being a bit more reflective than good guy America and evildoer Arab terrorist about 9/11. It was terrorism, but American hands aren't clean. They weren't in the lead-up to the attacks, they weren't in the response, and they aren't now.
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No_Restaurant_8627 1 day ago -7
So you hate a whole country and people because some of the people who hijacked the plane claimed to be from saudia Arabia? Your brainwashed
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dragonslayerbarbie 1 day ago +2
*you're
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[deleted] 1 day ago -25
[removed]
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[deleted] 1 day ago -13
[removed]
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Sun11fyre 2 days ago +35
His sense of humor is his appeal. He’s a comedian.
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riegspsych325 2 days ago +7
I’ve only ever seen him in The Suicide Squad and thought he was fine in that. Not like I’m being forced to watch anything else of his like how some people act
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ughdrunkatvogue 1 day ago +8
A lot of men have a very specific idea of what kinda guy can date the type women that’s he’s been with - and to see someone like him be able to who isn’t their perfect ideal image of a man destroys their worldviews. I can’t even count how many “I don’t get it - why him??” comments i’ve seen and it’s like yeah, you don’t get it and no one’s asking you to. And then there’s SNL fans who can’t fathom why he became a breakout star despite not being particularly good at sketch comedy which makes them salty. Like sorry but he has charisma in spades and a big personality (you may not like his personality but he has one) and that’s what made him stand out. And some people find him annoying but it’s like what are you doing to put yourself in a position to be listening to or watching him? I don’t think i’ve heard or seen a video of him in years - and that’s without even trying. And if it’s just a headline that annoys you then I’m afraid you cannot be helped. Edit: I mean the “royal”you , not you specifically OP haha
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GermanShephrdMom 1 day ago +3
From a lady’s perspective, he admits that he totally spoils his lady friends and shows zero ego. That is so attractive. Plus he is funny.
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BigB0iBuster 2 days ago +11
I personally don’t find him funny.
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jlees88 1 day ago +4
He’s kind of smug and acts too cool for the room. 
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Ragnaroq314 1 day ago +3
I mean…think it comes natural with the enormous hog
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BarelyContainedChaos 2 days ago +2
I've seen only one of his stand up specials and it was pretty good. Dark humor is my jam.
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Elementium 20 hr ago +1
Im very out of the loop on everything.. I don't even know what he does? Stand up? 
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Fun-Flamingo-7285 8 hr ago +1
It's because he's not funny and he's still not but he's trying to get attention for being sober now.
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Worst-Lobster 2 days ago -3
He’s tall . Maybe that’s why people like him
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peoplemagazine 2 days ago +39
TLDR: * During a live taping of Netflix's *The Pete Davidson Show,* Pete Davidson revealed he used to be "such a drug addict" * The comedian joked about not remembering much of the early part of his career * Davidson has entered rehab multiple times to address drug use, PTSD and borderline personality disorder
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No-Shoulder6395 1 day ago +5
All of this is old news. Like, the oldest of news.
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MandatorySaxSolo 2 days ago +12
Pete once entered rehab to smoke weed less. He even has a bit about it that is on Sirius too much. Dunno if he tried to do the Half Baked sketch, but yeah dude said he checked in to smoke less weed... Edit: I am sorry, addiction is addiction. I dont have weed legal anywhere so we dont have this
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unfoldyourself 2 days ago +38
Weed isn’t a dangerous drug and I’m very much for legalizing it, but for certain people it can be very hard to quit. I’ve spent over a decade trying to quit it, gone to endless 12-step meetings and tried plenty of things, and it’s still hard. Currently on Day 154, but it’s a struggle. And people roll their eyes at you when you mention that’s your issue. If he can afford rehab, good for him and I won’t judge him for it.
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Automatic_Soil9814 2 days ago +12
You are absolutely right. People don’t take it seriously but it’s really difficult to give up. Just because you’re not physically dependent on it doesn’t mean it’s not an addiction. 
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Sleepingguitarman 2 days ago +11
You can absolutely develop a physical dependence to weed, and experience physical withdrawal symptoms when quitting. I feel like no physicsl dependence or physical wd's is weeds biggest misconception.
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Different-Clock1246 1 day ago +5
Was an all day everyday guy in college. Quit once I started having to apply for jobs. I got night sweats for like three months and i had to start working out more to get my appetite back.
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MandatorySaxSolo 2 days ago +4
Hey, you are awesome and hard core. I applaud you in every way. I struggle with other stuff...Keep kicking ass and dont take offense to my comment. Seriously you are kickass. I just dont like Pete, I kind of blind hated with my comment
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unfoldyourself 2 days ago +3
Thanks, I didn’t think you meant anything bad but some people kind of look down at it. FYI to anyone who’s struggling, r/leaves is a good community to post or lurk on, and also Marijuana Anonymous is a real thing and almost everyone in it is cool, they have online meetings over zoom and some in person depending on where you live. I have some issues with 12 step groups, but MA is often the best case scenario.
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MandatorySaxSolo 2 days ago +3
I have the big book on my shelf, I should actually take into consideration that anything is addictive. My father got absolutely addicted to church, knife making (us together) and then ultra marathons. They ran at UTMB 🫢 My addictions are sleeping atm...
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unfoldyourself 2 days ago +5
I think that for some people, it’s not possible to not be addicted to something, the only thing you get a choice over is to what you’re addicted to.
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MandatorySaxSolo 2 days ago +2
I am sorry. I dont have legal weed so I dont hear about it
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CaylaMarieArmstrong 2 days ago +2
Thank you for sharing this. I’m on day 4 after 10+ years of smoking all day, every day. I’m not a huge Pete fan, but absolutely empathize with his struggles of staying sober regardless the drug. If he or I used hard drugs or alcohol like we did weed, we’d be labeled junkies or possibly dead. But when it’s weed everybody acts like you’re crazy for saying there may be an issue.
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unfoldyourself 2 days ago -1
Congratulations, not to drop a ton of cliches but just don’t get stoned today, and then keep doing it a day at a time. Quitting forever is hard to think about, but I can absolutely get through today without it. My biggest tip that’s been really helpful for me, is that because I know I can’t control it, when I think about smoking I don’t ask myself if I want to go get stoned. Instead, I ask myself if I want to go start getting stoned all day, every day 24/7/365 again, because that’s what I’m really asking myself and that’s what happens when I left myself smoke a little.
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CaylaMarieArmstrong 1 day ago +1
Thanks for your reply. I’m definitely in the same boat - I can’t just ween off or limit it, and if I have it in the house, I’ll smoke it. Or worse, I know I have it, so it’s all I’m thinking about all day until I can smoke. So much easier once I got rid of all my paraphernalia and stopped keeping any in the house. Finally getting appetite and some energy back. First 3 days were miserable. Best of luck on your continued journey!
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No-Stranger2936 1 day ago +1
Currently, culture enables it and treats you like shit for even suggesting it causes problems in your life. It's the new booze.
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rearviewmirror71 1 day ago
Did you ever suck d*** for WEED??? Rip Bob Sagat.
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Ska-Tea 2 days ago +6
Weed can be addictive and worsen symptoms of BPD. Sounds like he figured out part of his struggle and was getting help 🤷🏽‍♂️
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BaltimoreGuy410 2 days ago
Yeah, sure. A drug addict goes to rehab and it’s “just for weed” 🤔
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Sleepingguitarman 2 days ago +1
One of my 2 detox center stays was just for weed. People do it.
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BaltimoreGuy410 1 day ago +1
Thats interesting. Were you addicted to other drugs as well?
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Sleepingguitarman 1 day ago +1
In the past yes, but during the time i went just for weed i was only dependent on weed (other then my prescribed medications which i was administered at the facility). I know it sounds a bit silly, but i genuinely would get relatively rough withdrawals from weed. I had been using marijuana for a long time, in heavy, frequent amounts though. Before i went in i was dabbing 3.5-5 grams of wax a day, along with smoking some regular flower. Withdrawals weren't anything like benzos/gabaergic substance withdrawals obviously, which is what the bulk of my withdrawal experiences were with, but they were still abnormally bad for weed. My symptoms would be a significant rise in heart rate / blood pressure, constant sweating, nasuea/vomiting, hard to sleep, frequent diarrhea, lack of appetite / couldn't eat for the first few days, and heightened anxiety in some situations. These symptoms would typically be the worst on days 2-4, before tapering off across the following few days. Worst symptoms were definitely the heart rate / bp spike though. Even with them giving me clonidine and propranalol 3 times a day, my resting heart rate would average about 145-150 across the first few days, and could jump up to about 165 if i was feeling some anxiety. Funny thing is that one of the reasons i quit was because weed started to make me anxious and would make my heart rate increase.
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BaltimoreGuy410 1 day ago
Very interesting. Thank you for the detailed reply!
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Sleepingguitarman 1 day ago +2
Haha no problem, and thank you for not diminishing/judging my experience! Seems like sometimes when i share i usually get a few people who try and say im lying or that it was just psychological. I know my experience is atypical, but i think alot of people are under the impression that it's impossible for weed to cause physical dependence or that one can get physical withdrawal effects. I hope you have a great rest of your day my friend!
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BaltimoreGuy410 1 day ago +1
I’ve only seen people (teens) sent to rehab for essentially weed. I definitely believe people have gone for it, I’ve just never met anyone, but I know plenty of addicted and alcoholics who have gone to treatment. Glad it helped you. That’s all that matters. Reminds me of the scene from Half Baked lol
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2ndSmrtestPersunEvar 2 days ago +15
Yep, that’s what you were like…
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dragonslayerbarbie 2 days ago +21
"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to too."
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Haunting_Tax_3684 1 day ago -4
What drugs does he still do
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JJJBLKRose 1 day ago +1
It's a Mitch Hederg joke.
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MichaelEnright 1 day ago +3
Does he have any more to him other than “I’m a drug addict, silly me!” Like, we get it Peter, bring something else to the table.
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Can_Not_Double_Dutch 2 days ago +5
And he was with Kate Beckinsale for a while.
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king_julian8705 2 days ago +12
never understood his fame, lame duck if you ask me
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miyagiVsato 1 day ago +3
He seems like a decent enough guy and I actually kind of like him. But his standup sucks, he wasn’t that funny on SNL, and he can’t act. It’s never made sense to me either. No hate though, I’m glad he and his large p**** have done well for themselves.
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Rlccm 1 day ago +2
Unfunny. Don't know what he's like at this point in his career. But I legitimately tried to understand his appeal, so I watched his specials and could not believe it. I guess girls do think he's hot
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c4upinhisbhole 1 day ago +2
Pete, maybe I’m not very familiar with your early work but I’ll try to help you out with what I remember about you. You said some stuff that made people laugh, or not laugh. You did some tours. You did SNL, though I didn’t see much of it as an old guy. And you seemed to stick your wiener in a lot of attractive-ish (depending on who you talk to) women. Sometimes you struck me as a sad person.
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Soberdonkey69 2 days ago +6
He’s a sellout. Also, can we get rid of corporate accounts posting please? Soon they will add paywall to the comments section.
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Candid_Koala_3602 1 day ago +2
He is the archetypal kid that millennials who felt the most victimized by 9/11 could relate to.
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dr051j 2 days ago +3
He was an average comedian who was young. Now he’s and average comedian who’s not as young
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No-Shoulder6395 1 day ago +2
I read this in the voice of that guy who used to narrate movie theater trailers
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FnordRanger_5 1 day ago +2
Worst thing Pete Davidson ever did was that fucken Taco Bell ad Who here hasn’t blacked out a decade or two?
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-StationaryTraveler- 1 day ago +5
He performed for the Saudi royal family who are the same folks tied to the 9/11 trade center tragedy that killed his father. Taking a payday from the folks who.murdered your dad seems worse than a Taco Bell commercial.
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FnordRanger_5 1 day ago +4
That’s pretty bad but they didn’t make me stare at Pete Davidson’s face 42,000 times in 3 weeks over it
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-StationaryTraveler- 1 day ago +3
That is admittedly cruel in it's own way
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sugarstarbeam 1 day ago +2
Overrated d******* muppet
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fcatw 1 day ago +2
Why is he in the news cycle again? Who’s paying for this, PR stunt?
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Both_Coyote5986 1 day ago +2
Worked with him on the set of a commercial shoot and he was an absolute d***
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nobody_marvel 2 days ago +3
Not even remembering his early career because of how bad it got, that’s heavy. Respect for owning it, you can tell he’s in a way better place.
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_IndyCar 1 day ago +1
I remember seeing him on guy code on MTV 2 and thought who is this weird little troll dude and now he’s famous
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ActuatorTasty4982 8 hr ago +1
Well he was funny, that was cool
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Graphicnovelnick 2 days ago +1
Was, as in past tense?
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Money-Director6649 2 days ago +1
hell, i don't even recall what i had for lunch last week, and i'm not a drug addict.
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Hawkwise83 1 day ago +1
He seems to actually work on his mental health. Good for him.
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Ornstein_0 2 days ago -1
Who gives a shit lmao this dude is such a loser
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VinylHighway 2 days ago -8
Yeah millionaire actor comedian is such a loser
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Ornstein_0 2 days ago +13
Yeah the comedian that accepted a check to perform for the royals who funded the terror attacks that killed his father, he's a super cool relatable guy
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VinylHighway 2 days ago -10
That is a different claim
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dragonslayerbarbie 2 days ago +6
So is "millionaire actor comedian" lol those things don't prove he's not a loser.
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VinylHighway 2 days ago -5
Depends on your entirely subjective definition of loser :)
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-Sofa-King-Vote 1 day ago +1
Why does he keep talking?
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areallyreallycoolhat 17 hr ago +1
I don't think it's particularly weird for Pete Davidson to be talking on a show titled The Pete Davidson Show
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-Sofa-King-Vote 17 hr ago +1
Why does he even have a show?
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psyopia 2 days ago
Everyone shits all over Pete. I love the guy. He’s done nothing wrong but aim above his waist which he’s been partly successful at.
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oregon3 2 days ago -1
He’s what we used to call a waste product.
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Eggsbennybb 2 days ago
I like how losers on the internet will complain that women only date attractive men, and then hate on Davidson for being “ugly” and still able to date hot women. Like he should be your poster boy for why being charming and funny and vulnerable is attractive
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DeadPeanutSociety 2 days ago -2
It seems like he has always been a really nice guy that is easy to be around, even when he wasn't doing very well for himself. You can get a lot of opportunities in your life just by being around and being easy to work with. Pete is a great example of this, because at no point has he ever been funny, so you know there must be other reasons for his success.
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Atchakos 1 day ago +3
I went to High School with Pete. He was literally expelled from our school for bullying. He is definitely *not* a nice person. Heck, his best friend (whom he made videos with) was literally *Joey Salads*.
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fargolifestaycold 2 days ago
Excuse me, have you seen Fast and Furious 8? He had a small roll and he was the best I've ever seen him. Just Saying.
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[deleted] 2 days ago -4
[deleted]
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No_Use_9652 2 days ago +17
“I wonder why some people aren’t more open about their personal struggles”
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[deleted] 2 days ago -2
[deleted]
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Muted_Yoghurt6071 2 days ago +4
Well, Pete Davidson, and according to you, every musician and actor has a drug problem. They attained major success despite their problems, versus your neighbor, who is not living a great life (they have to live next to you). For me, that would differentiate why this is notable in comparison to your unfortunate neighbor.
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No_Use_9652 2 days ago +7
You sound delightful
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Rinzlerx 2 days ago +4
lol he blocked me but responded so I can see it. What a loser.
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[deleted] 2 days ago -4
[deleted]
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Rinzlerx 2 days ago +2
We get it you’re a drug addict.
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whoknowsknowone 1 day ago
He was a failure then and a failure now
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Stormy_Kun 21 hr ago
He has zero relevance outside of whatever Hollywood joke actress lets him inside her that week.
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szabadabadooo 1 day ago -1
Incoming sexual assault allegation...
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ArugulaImpossible204 2 days ago -3
I just watched a movie last night that his ex wrote. If it was even partially inspired by her relationship with this man (and there are clear indications it was), then f*** this guy. He sucked to say the least. At worst he was emotionally and verbally abusive. Hopefully he’s gotten better.
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wutangclanthug9mm 2 days ago +7
Feel free not to mention any details like, say, the title of the movie or anything.
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Atchakos 1 day ago +2
Cazzie David's movie, "I Love You Forever". Warning: it's not for the faint of heart/is about a woman trying to cope & eventually escape an abusive relationship.
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ArugulaImpossible204 1 day ago -2
Or you could ask nicely lol, I’ll point you to google. Cazzie David is the ex. You’ll find it!
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wutangclanthug9mm 1 day ago
I don’t even care. Just pointing out how infinitely inept and grating it is to post a comment that buries the very lede it’s trying to express.
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