Pete Davidson Recalls Past Self-Harm Struggles, Admits He Got Tattoos to Cover Up Scars | Just Jared

Pete Davidson is opening up about his struggles.

In his new interview with Variety, the 32-year-old comedian and Saturday Night Live alum spoke about removing the majority of his tattoos, revealing he got many of them to cover-up past self-harm scars.

“I used to cut, so some of [the tattoos] covered up the cuts,” he shared.

Back in 2020, Pete began the 10+ year process of removing the more than 200 tattoos on his body. In January 2025, he revealed that he had already spent $200,000 to get rid of the tattoos.

In the new interview, Pete went into further detail about why he decided to remove the majority of his tattoos.

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“One, they were f***in’ horrible. Two, it was a business decision,” he explained. “I hated coming into the makeup trailer three hours early to spray-paint over horrible f***in’ tattoos. And third, I was like, ‘I’m not this dude.’ I got these when I was in an immense amount of pain and I was trying to show people my pain.”

He once again confirmed that he’s keeping the Hillary Clinton tattoo he got on his right leg back in 2017.

“She stays. That’s my dog,” Pete said. “I love Hillary, man. She’s awesome and a good friend.”

Also in his new interview, Pete revealed his drug of choice while sharing an update on his sobriety journey.

He also revealed where he currently stands with famous exes Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, you can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.

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