When Kim Kardashian hosted Saturday Night Live back in October of 2021, Pete Davidson probably had no inkling that that week of rehearsals would alter the course of the rest of his life.
Kim hosted the second episode of what would turn out to be Pete’s final season on the show that made him famous.
And those two facts, as you’re likely aware, are not unrelated.
Kim and Pete began dating after they met on the show, and life was never the same for either one of them.
What first appeared to be a fling quickly developed into a serious relationship.
Pete began to show up on SNL less and less often, and in the second half of the season he made only one appearance — and that was in a pretaped sketch that featured only one other cast member.
Now, People magazine is reporting that Davidson has officially quit the show.
It seems unlikely that he’ll even be on hand to receive a proper send-off during tomorrow night’s season finale.
Critics of Davidson’s have alleged that his relationship with Kim led to an inflated ego.
But the more likely explanation for Davidson’s abrupt departure is the intense scrutiny that he received as a result of the relationship — particularly from Kanye West.
Yes, even though Kim finalized her divorce from Kanye before she started hooking up with Pete, Kanye still reacted to the relationship as though he’d caught his wife having an affair.
Kanye stalked Kim and harassed Pete in such a way that even his close friends started begging him to stop, if only for the sake of his children.
At one point, West made a music video in which he decapitated a claymation likeness of Davidson.
With Kanye issuing frequent threats via social media and openly fantasizing about murdering Pete, it wouldn’t have been safe for Davidson to show up to Rockefeller Center, and so, he kept his distance.
Ironically, the threats and intimidation blew up in Kanye’s face, as Pete and Kim seemed to use this time to become even closer.
And it’s not as though Pete doesn’t have any other projects coming up.
During this week’s NBCUniversal Upfront, Davidson revealed that he’ll be starring in a new Peacock sitcom entitled Bupkis.
“I can’t believe we are going to be on Peacock, the streamer that is responsible for so so many great shows like ‘MacGruber” and the reruns of ‘The Office,’” he told the media.
“I’m here so the media will finally start paying attention to me,” Davidson joked, adding:
“So look out for our new show streaming on the ‘Cock.”
Of course, the sitcom probably wouldn’t have been reason enough for Pete to leave SNL.
Multiple cast members have starred in other series while maintaining their spots on the sketch show, most recently Kenan Thompson, who currently stars in an eponymous sitcom on the same network.
In the past, Pete has suggested that he considered leaving the show due to feeling that he was underappreciated.
I personally think that I should be done with that show, because they make fun of me on it,” Davidson explained in a 2020 interview with Charlamagne tha God.
“I get it, but I’m like, cold-open, political punchlines. I’m like, ‘Weekend Update’ jokes. When I’m not there, they’ll be like, ‘Ha ha ha, Pete’s a f—ing jerk-face.’ And you’re like, ‘Whose side are you on?'”
“I have a weird feeling in that building where I don’t know whose team they’re playing for, really,” he admitted. “If I’m the joke or I’m in on the joke.”
Davidson has yet to confirm that he’s leaving the show, but insiders say his decision is definitely final.
We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors!