Pete Davidson talks Ariana Grande and avoiding the internet: 'When enough people call you ugly, it definitely gets to you'
Pete Davidson covers one of Paper Magazine's "Break the Internet" issues — as a nude Ken Doll — and had a candid conversation with actor Tommy Dorfman about fame and love.
The Saturday Night Live star, 26, has wooed plenty of famous women — after ending his engagement to Ariana Grande last year, Davidson rebounded with 46-year-old actress Kate Beckinsale. He's currently rumored to be dating Cindy Crawford's model daughter, Kaia Gerber, but unlike his very public romance with Grande, fans won't get a front-row seat to his new one. When talking with the 13 Reasons Why star, Davidson said he's learned from past relationships that his love life is "nobody's business."
"I think when you first get in a relationship and you're on television, you don't realize that when you post a photo of you and your girlfriend, you're pretty much announcing to the world your relationship," he explained. "I didn't know that because I know couples that are together that I followed that, you know, are my homies that work at Best Buy, and when they post each other's picture all the time and there are no articles written about it or they're not followed around, you forget that you have to approach it differently, which is really difficult for both [people in the relationship], because the second [the public] knows you're together, it's already against you. You're losing. Because now they know you're together, if you're not [seen together], they know something went wrong. As opposed to like... people date. People date and are friends."
Davidson added, "So now I'm just as private as possible. I'm as discreet as can be. I know now not to do PDA. I'm a very PDA [person], though. I'm a lovey person. I love licking faces."
Gerber, 18, and Davidson were photographed kissing in public just this week and the comedian says he loves showing affection to the person he's dating.
"My love language, when I'm in a relationship, is I treat the person I'm with like a princess," he declared. "I try and go as above and beyond as possible, because that's what you're supposed to do? If you're in a relationship with someone, you're just supposed to make that person feel as special as possible. But sometimes when you put so much on someone, it overwhelms them, and then they don't know if they could come close to that."
However, Davidson noted his relationship style can be "very off-putting to some." He continued, "Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, and then it sometimes makes me feel bad about myself because I'm like, 'I did all this stuff and... You didn't care at all!' But you can't do that. I have learned that anything you do, it just has to be 'cause you wanna do it."
Although he doesn't name names, the actor said he learned that lesson from "a past relationship."
"Which sucked to learn through that person, but it makes you better," he continued. "I used to get really upset that this person didn't 'match' my intensity or how much I show by actions, you know? I'm not really good at accepting just words, 'cause people could say s*** all the time. And this person was very word-heavy, so because of how insane I am, and how untrustworthy and scared I am, I couldn't only take that... So, I had to learn that you just have to do stuff 'cause you want to do it."
When asked directly about Grande, he gave a PC response.
"I don't ever make public statements about relationships 'cause I just don't think it's right, you know? I usually express how I feel about anything through work. So, I hope she's well," he said. "I hope she's very happy. And that's pretty much it. And print doesn't usually age well."
Davidson struggled in the wake of his split with the Grammy-nominated singer, canceling comedy shows and disappearing from social media. He has been open about his mental health issues and said he’s found it easier to get rid of the Internet altogether.
"I got rid of the internet because I can't be on it. And anytime I would go on, I would just see horrible things written about me all the time... I would look through the search tab on Instagram and I'm a meme! I'm multiple MEMES. I'm punchlines or set-ups to jokes, so social media's a little different for me. I had to get rid of it," he said.
The Suicide Squad star, who was bullied on social media after the public split, added, "When enough people call you ugly, it definitely gets to you. For me, personally, I can't block that stuff out. That's why I had to get rid of the internet and stuff."
While he was cordial about his ex-fiancée, Davidson was less kind about fellow comic David Spade.
"I hate David Spade, but I find him funny," he replied when asked what "super-famous comedian" he doesn't find funny. "Yeah. Can I just say that? David Spade is a disgusting human being, but he is funny... If you're seventeen and up, there's a chance David Spade has DMed you."
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