If you’re a fan of Pete Davidson’s movies and TV shows, you know the man has tattoos all over his body, as he has about 200 different designs from his neck to his legs. However, he's getting rid of them. But despite spending $200K to get them removed, the SNL alum is apparently planning to keep a few favorites he can’t let go of.
Pete Davidson has previously said that removing his many tattoos has been a “years-long process,” with the wild cost to get rid of them being nearly $200K. While continuously spending cash to remove them, the comedic actor got real with US Weekly about not being 100% inkless by the time the removal process is done:
I know people who have fucking really cool ones. It’s just, mine are literally stupid, except for like five of them that I’m keeping.
For the most part, Davidson has been adamant about why he's getting rid of a lot of his tattoos, as he once said that his tattoos have been constant reminders of his past drug use, like his back one of SpongeBob smoking a joint. That’s the tricky part about tattoos— your style may evolve, but the ink stays and serves as a lasting reminder of who you were when you got it. By removing the ink, it's Davidson's way of letting go of his past.
However, that doesn't mean every tattoo is worth removing, and some may hold a lot of good memories and personal value to him.
The King of Staten Island actor told the publication that because he was a different person when he first got his tattoos, it’s clear he wants the ones he keeps to have meaning. He said one of the tattoos that will stay honors Hillary Clinton, and it's on his leg.
In January, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Pete Davidson spoke about connecting his many tattoos with being “a sad boy” and removing them as his way of “trying to be an adult.” At the same time, the Meet Cute actor wants it to be clear that getting rid of a big selection of tattoos is not for the faint of heart. But it's still worth it, as he explained:
It’s a long game. Anyone who’s interested in doing it, just know that it’s gonna take a long time. That’s a hard thing, especially for a guy like me who does comedy. Comedy is instant gratification, right? You tell a joke [and know] if it’s funny right away. But if you wanna do it, it’s really worth it. And my arms are almost fully clear, and I can wear a T-shirt. It’s nice.
I don’t blame Pete Davidson. Getting rid of 200 tattoos is not something you do on a whim and is definitely not a quick process. After all, the New York City native has been public about getting them removed since 2021 and is only 30% done.
The SNL alum explained that removing those tats involves “burning your skin,” healing for 6-8 weeks, and then potentially repeating that process another 10 times afterward. That sounds even more painful than getting the tattoo in the first place. However, that’s all the more reason I give the Bupkis actor a lot of credit for committing to this process.
It’s very wild that despite spending $200K to remove his tattoos, Pete Davidson still plans to keep five of them. On the other hand, the tats worth keeping undoubtedly mean the Big Time Adolescence actor is holding onto designs that reflect who he is today, rather than who he used to be. That beautiful transformation process must make the painful removal ordeal incredibly worth it.
