Pete Davidson is reflecting on how drug addiction shaped his mental health and early career. In an August 13 interview with 105.1 FM’s The Breakfast Club, the 31-year-old comedian spoke candidly about the toll his substance use took on his mind.
“I was a daily, all day sorta guy, and I got psychosis where you hear voices, and you feel like you’re sitting next to yourself, weed isn’t supposed to do that… It’s because it’s too strong,” Davidson said.
The former Saturday Night Live cast member, who joined the show in 2014, admitted that his early years in the spotlight were fueled by unhealthy habits. “I was just doing drugs and trying to do comedy… I didn’t kill anyone or anything, but it’s still… You don’t want that out, you want to be able to grow,” he explained.
Davidson also addressed the pressures of living in the public eye, especially for young performers. “That’s what we don’t really have anymore — any form of privacy, I feel like, for young people where you, like, get to make those mistakes and learn your lessons, and it not be in Us Weekly,” he said.
His struggles went beyond fame. “I was a big drug addict — I would go to rehab and stuff, and I do have mental stuff, and I was in therapy, but if you’re a drug addict, none of that works,” Davidson said. “You can’t go to therapy on a bunch of drugs and expedite it to work.”
The actor, known for roles in The Suicide Squad and The Pickup, shared that his decision to quit came in part from a personal relationship that made him rethink his lifestyle. “It got a little out of control fast, and I was really young… I’m glad all the bad, crazy stuff happened in my 20s,” he noted.
While he acknowledges that those years were difficult, Davidson said he’s grateful to have faced those challenges early. “I’m glad I got it out of the way, but it’s tough when you’re young and doing that,” he added.
Davidson’s openness about his addiction, mental health, and the strain of early fame adds to a growing conversation about the pressures facing young entertainers. For him, leaving behind drugs has been crucial in building a healthier, more stable life — and in making peace with a turbulent chapter of his past.