Pete Davidson has opened up about what going through a lengthy tattoo removal process has been like.
The comedian recently appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and provided an update on removing his tattoos, a process that started back in 2020 when he concluded that they took too long to cover up on sets.
“They’re almost gone,” he told the late-night talk show host.
The Saturday Night Live alum revealed that he’s been “burning them off” causing Fallon to ask about the pain of going through such a process.
“It’s horrible,” Davidson said. “It’s worse [than getting a tattoo]. They gotta burn off a layer of your skin, and then it has to heal for six to eight weeks and you can’t get in the sunlight. And then you gotta do it like 12 more times. So really think about that Game of Thrones tattoo.”
He estimated that he likely had around 200 tattoos before starting to remove them as he reflected on his mindset behind getting so many.
“I was a sad boy. It was a weird time. I don’t know, everybody was getting tattoos like five years ago,” he said. “Post Malone was like ‘Always Tired,’ and I was like, ‘Me too dude, I’m exhausted.’”
In terms of whether or not he plans on keeping any of his tattoos, the comedian said he saw himself only leaving “two or three” and removing all of the others. “I’m trying to clean slate it, trying to be an adult,” he said.
Despite his recent television appearance, Davidson revealed in a December 2024 interview with W Magazine that he had largely been avoiding the public eye and separating himself from his celebrity status.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but I’ve been laying low,” he told the publication.
He went on to explain his withdrawal from the spotlight by agreeing that the idea of oversaturation had been on his mind.
“You’re 100 percent correct because I was oversaturated,” Davidson told the fashion magazine. “In The Sopranos, there’s this line from Tony that’s like, ‘You ever feel like you got into something at the end? When the good times were over?’ That’s how I feel about show business and being a celebrity. It’s over.”
“When you’re first coming up, and getting all these offers, it’s hard to say no, because you’re hungry. I made the mistake of doing literally everything. Now I’m older and wiser, and I’m realizing that less is more. Like Christian Bale. He does one movie every two, three years, but you go f***ing see it. Leo[nardo DiCaprio] does one movie every four years, but it’s the biggest thing in the world. It’s because you miss them. People have to miss you.”
He added that moving away from fame had been good for his mental health, saying: “Luckily, I got hit on the face with the Hollywood shovel. It was a long time coming, and I needed it. I’m very happy where I am right now, mentally.”
As for his future plans, Davidson said: “I just want to be known for doing good work. I want to be out there only when it’s movie, stand-up, charity, or business ventures. That’s when I want to be seen. I don’t want to be this f***ing loser who just dates people. That’s not who I am. But people hate celebrities now.”
