Pete Davidson has been getting a lot of attention lately. Whether it’s his excruciatingly private romance with Kim Kardashian or the mostly one-sided feud with her estranged husband Kanye West, all eyes are on the comedian during his moment in the spotlight. However, there were no eyes on him Saturday night during his regular gig, as Davidson was absent for the taping of Saturday Night Live. The longtime cast member had a good reason to miss this week’s show, and no, it didn’t have anything to do with him allegedly being afraid of Kanye West.
As guest host John Mulaney talked about his battles with addiction in a touching (but still funny) monologue, Variety reports that Pete Davidson was cleared to begin production on his upcoming movie The Home. It's a horror/thriller in which the comedian plays Max, a troubled man who starts working at a retirement home and realizes its residents and caretakers harbor sinister secrets.
The movie sounds pretty scary, but how does it compare to the actor’s real-life dealings with Kanye West? In January, it was reported that the SNL breakout was laughing off the tabloid drama after Ye released the song “Eazy,” which included the lyric, “God saved me from that crash / Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” The intensity seems to have increased in the past couple of weeks, however, as Kim Kardashian’s soon-to-be ex has been posting — and then deleting — things on Instagram in reference to his children, the Skims founder and Davidson.
The 28-year-old star restarted his own Instagram account recently, but made one post — in which he hinted at new content on the way, including The Home — before deleting his account. Kanye West took credit for running him off.
The Suicide Squad actor has reportedly been dealing with security issues, as his planned move was delayed because his new place didn’t have a doorman. People have also allegedly been showing up at his mom’s house. Kim Kardashian unfollowed her ex amid the Instagram onslaught, which included screenshots of messages that both she and her beau had presumably sent the rapper. She then also filed new court documents, saying Ye’s social media activity was causing “emotional distress” as Kardashian continues to fight to be declared legally single.
Pete Davidson’s absence from SNL might not have been related to Kanye West, but Ye did reach out to at least one of Davidson’s colleagues, Michael Che, offering to double his salary so he wouldn’t have to work with Davidson anymore. Whether the offer was serious or not, Che had a pretty hilarious response, saying it would take a lot more than that for him to “betray” his friends.
The King of Staten Island lead is only the latest Saturday Night Live star to be granted a leave of absence to work on other projects. Cecily Strong was out last season while she filmed the hilarious Apple TV+ musical comedy Schmigadoon!, while Aidy Bryant appeared on Hulu’s Shrill. Kate McKinnon missed a good bit of time when she left to film Peacock’s Joe Vs. Carole as well.
With Pete Davidson off doing a movie, it might be a while before we see him live from New York again. And when he does return, I wouldn't expect him to be shivering at the thought of Kanye West firing shots at him.
Coming up on Saturday Night Live for March 5, Oscar Isaac will host with musical guest Charli XCX. Then on March 12, Zoë Kravitz will take the reins with musical guest Rosalîa. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see when new and returning shows are premiering!
