Pete Davidson is getting real about his so-called confidence, and honestly, it’s a lot more relatable than anyone might have expected. In a recent chat with People, the 31-year-old comedian admitted that his well-known self-assurance may be one big illusion.
“If you guys think I have confidence, I have been fooling everyone,” Davidson confessed, making it clear that the swagger fans see is more smoke and mirrors than anything else.
He didn’t shy away from explaining why he’s carried that tough exterior for so long.
“It’s so difficult to say anything in print and not be afraid to come across the wrong way,” he shared.
“But I had a really sh**ty childhood and like the worst thing that ever could have happened to me, happened to me when I was seven.”
Davidson’s father, Scott Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who tragically lost his life during the September 11 attacks when Pete was just a kid.
And that life-altering heartbreak shaped the way he’s faced the world ever since.
“I’ve kind of just been like, ‘Fk it. Like who the — cares?’ You know? And like, Fk everyone,” he said, capturing that classic Pete Davidson energy we all know.
Of course, even someone with a “f**k it” attitude isn’t immune to some life traps, and Pete is the first to admit it.
“Trying to be of service to others and not take care of myself, and like just try people please,” he said, listing off some very real struggles he’s faced over the years.
But the good news? Davidson’s figured out what actually matters to him—and it’s not public approval.
“At the end of the day, it’s like your family matters and your two or three friends that you have matter,” he said. “Everybody else can go f**k themselves,” he added, in peak Pete fashion. “And you don’t have to put all this pressure on yourself.”
Reflecting on how he approaches being in the spotlight these days, Davidson shared, “This is sort of newer for me. But I think it kind of shows if you see me now… it’s a little different because I went through something pretty tough.”
And when it comes to the noise from strangers online or otherwise, Pete has some advice we could all probably use: “I just think who cares what people you don’t even know think?” he said. “Like who the f**k cares? You don’t know them.”
