S.N.L fans breathed a collective sigh of relief early Sunday morning, as Pete Davidson made his first live appearance after an alarming social media post triggered police intervention and a wave of celebrity outreach. The 25-year-old comedian and cast member was indeed present during the Matt Damon-hosted episode, even as new backstage reports detail his scaled-back involvement.
The commotion began mid-Saturday, as fans and media quickly picked up on an Instagram post in which Davidson stated, “I really don't want to be on this earth anymore.” Everyone from Davidsons ex-fiancée, Ariana Grande, to actor Jon Cryer reached out showing concern for the performer, who has openly struggled with his mental health. The NYPD confirmed Davidson was safe at NBC studios, and S.N.L. later brought him onstage to introduce the second performance of musical guests Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus.
TMZ offered a closer look at Davidsons involvement with the 2018 closer; notably that was cut from several sketches because hed missed dress rehearsal. Davidson made a brief appearance in a pre-taped segment in addition to his musical intro, but otherwise “stayed in his dressing room for most of the show, wearing pajamas,” a source told the outlet. Another description saw him reportedly asking an unnamed fellow cast member for a hug during a commercial break.
Fans also likely noticed Davidsons absence during the closing farewell, though he and rapper Machine Gun Kelly were apparently spotted in the same SUV after the show. Neither Davidson nor S.N.L. have offered any public update since the episode.
At least Weezer seemed in good spirits about the evening, as frontman Rivers Cuomo tweeted his endorsement of a sketch featuring Damon and star Leslie Jones debating the quality of the bands most recent albums. Gotta cut the tension somewhere, right?
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