Pete Davidson Says He Is ‘Very Happy’ After Taking a Step Back From Acting: ‘I Got Hit on the Face With the Hollywood Shovel’

Pete Davidson has found his peace after taking a step back from the limelight.

The 31-year-old comedian left “Saturday Night Live” in 2022 following an eight-season run on the prolific sketch comedy show. Now, Davidson is serving as the creative director of the sock brand Doublesoul. 

He explained that his decision to take space from Hollywood was partially motivated by the negative press he received following a series of his high-profile relationships with celebrities such as Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian. 

“Luckily, I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel,” he told W. “It was a long time coming, and I needed it. I’m very happy where I am right now, mentally.”

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Davidson went on to say that he primarily wants to be known for doing “good work,” citing projects in film, standup, charity or business as potential avenues through which he wants to be perceived. “That’s when I want to be seen. I don’t want to be this fucking loser who just dates people. That’s not who I am.”

Davidson also explained that he felt pressured early in his career to say yes to every opportunity that came his way, but has matured and grown wiser since his younger years. 

“The media takes a handful of celebs every couple of years, and they just destroy them,” Davidson said. “For some reason, I’m one of the people they chose to go after. It’s actually, in a way, a blessing, because it allowed me to take a step back and evaluate things. What do you want to be? Who are you? I’m someone who is from Staten Island, wanted to do stand-up, and if I got to do anything else because of stand-up, it was a miracle.” 

Davidson recently canceled a series of stand-up shows he was scheduled to perform at in July. Instead, he checked himself into a wellness facility.