After two years of dating, Ariana Grande and longtime friend turned beau Mac Miller broke up in May. When she announced the split, the singer described him as “one of my best friends in the whole world and favorite people on the planet.” She then categorized the relationship as “toxic” in response to a fan criticizing their breakup upon news of Miller’s recent DUI. Since, rumors connecting Grande with SNL star Pete Davidson hit our social feeds — and (surprise!) they made themselves Instagram official right in time for her birthday month. But, who is Pete Davidson, exactly?
The ultimate question: Who is Pete Davidson?
Who is Pete Davidson? The 24-year-old actor/comedian is best known for his role on SNL.
He got his start on the NBC series in 2014 at age 20, which makes him one of the youngest cast members to date.
Davidson is a Staten Island native and his father, a firefighter, was killed during the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Davidson has a past with drug use — one he’s shared openly with the public.
He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as a teenager and turned to medical marijuana, but he’s disclosed how this became a dependency. “I wouldn’t be able to do SNL if I didn’t smoke weed. I wouldn’t be able to do anything, really,” he told High Times.
Davidson also spoke of his battle with depression. On The Breakfast Club morning show, he credited rapper Kid Cudi’s early music for ultimately saving his life: “I would’ve killed myself. Absolutely 100 percent. I truly believe if ‘Man on the Moon’ didn’t come out, I wouldn’t be here.”
In 2016, he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). But, in March 2017, he announced that he was officially sober for the first time in eight years.
“Just wanted to let you guys know I’m okay. I quit drugs and am happy and sober for the first time in 8 years,” Davidson wrote on Instagram. “It wasn’t easy, but I got a great girl, great friends and I consider myself a lucky man.”
This “great girl” he referred in the post is Cazzie David, daughter of comedian Larry David, whom he dated for about two years. (They were reportedly first linked together back in May 2016.)
Davidson confirmed in an interview obtained by PEOPLE last month that they’d split. “We’re not together anymore. … Very talented girl, she’ll be great and she’ll be fine,” he shared. “Yeah, I think she’ll be okay.”
Davidson clapped back at people on social media for saying Grande shouldn’t be dating him due to his mental health.
“Normally I wouldn’t comment on something like this cause like f*ck you,” he wrote on his Instagram story. “But I’ve been hearing a lot of ‘people with BPD can’t be in relationships’ talk. I just wanna let you know that’s not true. Just because someone has a mental illness does not mean they can’t be happy and in a relationship. It also doesn’t mean that person makes a relationship toxic.”
Amen to that.
