Pete Davidson Reflects on ‘Dark and Scary’ Suicidal Thoughts: ‘I Got as Close as You Can Get’
Pete Davidson opened up about his past struggles with suicidal thoughts, admitting he got "as close as you can get" to harming himself after his breakup with Ariana Grande.
The Saturday Night Live star reflected on the "dark and scary" experience during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning to promote his upcoming, semi-autobiographical film The King of Staten Island, which he co-wrote and stars in.
"I got as close as you can get — just like testing the waters,” Davidson explained. "Until I met the right treatments and met the right doctors and did all the work that you need to do to not feel that way, it got pretty dark and scary."
"I used to do that," he added, referring to a scene in the movie in which his character drives with his eyes closed and nearly crashes. "I used to close my eyes on a closed road usually at night and I would ride without a seat belt."
"I really wanted this to be cleansing for me," Davidson said of the film. "I feel like I got to speak about it in the biggest way possible to get my story out there. I feel like now I could let it go."
In December 2018, the 26-year-old comedian shared what appeared to be a suicide message on social media one month after his highly-publicized split from the Thank U, Next hit-maker.
"I really don’t want to be on this earth anymore," he wrote. "I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last. All I’ve ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so."
At the time, Grande reached out to Davidson with a number of public tweets in hopes that he would see them. However, he reportedly did not want her to visit him, which promoted the singer to tweet that she was "downstairs and I’m not going anywhere if you need anyone or anything...I know [you] have everyone [you] need and that’s not me, but I’m here too."
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 800-273-TALK (8255).