Pete Davidson has earned notoriety for various reasons, including his stand-up comedy and his high-profile dating life. Additionally, he's also known for having a body covered in ink. Well, you can cross that last one off, since the Bupkis star is currently in the process of removing around 200 individual tattoos from his body. It sounds painful even just in theory, but the uncomfortable nature of it really sinks in when you hear the comic's comments..
The 31-year-old comic walked the red carpet for the premiere of his 2025 movie release, Riff Raff (in which he stars alongside Bill Murray and Jennifer Coolidge). It was there that he updated Page Six on where he’s at in the tattoo removal process. The King of Staten Island actor divulged exactly how the tats are removed from his anatomy, and his sentiments about them being burned off are surely enough to make some people uneasy:
It’s terrible. They burn off your skin and then you’ve got to do it 10 more times. I think if you can invest in any business, I think you should invest in the tattoo removal business.
I’m glad the comedian still has a sense of humor about all this, yet I can't help wonder what the recovery time is like. Thankfully, the burning is done with a laser, from which someone can heal from the effects faster. However, in the moment, I'd imagine it has to be so painful. If getting a tattoo is like getting pricked with a needle hundreds of times, then removal could be like snapping a rubber band against your skin over and over. And then coming back again to do it 10 more times? No thank you!
Having nearly completed the work on his arms, the Dog Man actor is continuing his journey, moving onto the torso. As someone who has a tattoo on both my arms and my torso, I can confirm the latter is way more painful, especially the closer you get to the ribs. Pete Davidson revealed sometimes he's unconscious for certain areas of removal:
Sometimes they just put me to sleep which is kind of nice but if it’s just the arm, I try to listen to stuff or talk to the nurse.
I can understand his reasoning for removing a few ex-related tattoos, but all of them? Still, it's quite the commitment, one Pete Davidson apparently put in action a few years ago. Back when he was dating Kim Kardashian in 2023, the reality star mentioned her ex boyfriend had started tattoo removal on his arms and neck. Two years later, we are just now seeing the results, with Davidson showing off his bare arms in a Valentines ad campaign for Reformation.
For the comedian, though, this is about more than a few regrettable tattoos (and one Kim Kardashian-themed branding). He recently revealed that it is part of his decision to become a new man, leaving his “sad boy” self in the past. I guess that includes fresh skin and a shaved head but, in all honesty, he has looked great in recent months and seemed quite happy as well.
In addition to the tattoo removal, the Bodies Bodies Bodies actor has been sober since September. He's been candid about his struggles with mental health and addiction in the past, even doing a few stints in rehab. With the support of mentors and friends, such as John Mulaney and Lorne Michaels, the Staten Island native is reportedly doing a lot better.
All of that aside, Pete Davidson is staying booked and busy, which is great to see. That steady flow of employment is also probably a good thing, considering he’s rumored to be shelling out around $200,000 to remove all of his tattoos. I can’t help but wonder, if once all that space is freed up, will he get new ink? Regardless of that, he's hoping he's able to get through the rest of this current process as quickly (and painlessly) as possible.
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