Pete Davidson Explains Why He’s Removing His Tattoos

Pete Davidson is in the middle of removing most of his tattoos — a process he has described as “pretty horrible.” The comedian had around 200 tattoos when he decided to start getting them lasered off in 2020. In an interview with Variety, published April 23, Davidson explained why he wants to get rid of his ink.

According to Davidson, he was a “sad person that was very unsure” when he started getting tattoos. “I used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up,” he told the outlet. “So I’m just removing them and starting fresh, because that’s what I think works best for me and for my brain.”

He added, “When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of ‘Oh yeah, you were a f*cking drug addict. Like, that’s why you have SpongeBob smoking a joint on your back.’”

Davidson told Variety that all of the ink on arms, hands, and neck are pretty much gone, but it’s a slow process. Apparently, it will probably take him 10 more years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before he’s finished.

“It’s like putting your arm on a grill and burning off a layer,” he described his experience with laser tattoo removal. “It sucks, I’m not gonna lie.”

Davidson has previously discussed the painful process during a Today Show appearance in January. “It’s pretty terrible, so if anybody out there is watching and thinking about getting a tattoo, make sure you really want to get it,” he said.

At the time, he shared that his sobriety helped inspire his decision. “I got sober and I saw myself in the mirror and I was like, ‘Nah. Who that?’ I was like, ‘I got to change it up a little bit,’” he said.

According to Davidson, he is not planning on being completely ink-free. In January, he told Jimmy Fallon that he will keep “maybe, like, two or three” of his tattoos. “But I’m trying to clean slate it... trying to be an adult,” he added.