Ariana Grande Speaks Out About Pete Davidson's 2017 Manchester Bombing Joke

After reports surfaced last week about Pete Davidson allegedly joking about Ariana Grande and the bombing at her concert in Manchester in 2017, Ariana herself has weighed in on the controversy surrounding her fiancé.

According to People, Pete referenced the bombing in a 2017 joke he made with regards to Ariana's popularity: "Brittney Spears didn't have a terrorist attack at her concert," he reportedly said. The joke made news last week following a report from the Mirror, which included comments from family members of those affected by the bombing, who criticized the comedian.

In the aftermath of the news, a source close to Pete told People that the joke "was taken out of context. He lost his dad in 9/11 and is close with other victims of violent tragedies. As a way of coping he turns to humor.”

Ariana had remained silent on the reported joke until Thursday (July 5) night. She responded after a fan tweeted, "I respect Ariana and I want her to be happy and everything, but she was just broken after the Manchester bombing, so I don’t know why she is still with Pete, like yeah he made that joke a while ago, but like it’s not funny, it’s just rude. This is my opinion."

In her tweet to the fan, the singer acknowledged the issue had "been v tough & conflicting on my heart." She explained her thoughts on the matter, saying, "He uses comedy to help ppl feel better ab how f-ed up things in this world are. we all deal w trauma differently. I of course didn’t find it funny. it was months ago & his intention wasn’t/ is never malicious but it was unfortunate." She also noted that she sees the concerns of fans, tweeting, "I hear and respect you all always."

In response to her tweets, fans have shared how they feel about the situation. One follower expressed their understanding of Pete's way of coping, writing, "Ppl have their own way of coping. His dad died tragically. If you’re offended by his coping mechanism that’s your own problem. He doesn’t owe anyone anything."

Others disagreed, and asked for the Saturday Night Live cast member to publicly address his remarks. "Parents lost their childs, some people lost their friends, sisters, etc so HE CANNOT do a joke about that," one user tweeted. "This 'joke' didn't help them in anyway but instead it has upset them. He should be called out and he should apologize bc he doesn't get to joke about that, no one does." Another person on Twitter agreed, noting," He can use personal tragedies if that helps him cope but manchester had nothing to do with him. Its not his to joke about, and parents who lost their children at the concert are upset. Idk agree to disagree i guess."

The bombing, which left 22 dead and many wounded, has continued to affect Ariana. In a June 2018 interview, she shared that the incident had left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

While speaking with British Vogue, Ariana said she continues to deal with the emotions of that day, saying, "I know those families and my fans and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn't even be talking about my own experience — like I shouldn't even say anything. I don't think I'll ever know how to talk about it and not cry."

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