Pete Davidson is opening up about one of the darkest periods of his life, revealing how severe his drug use became before he entered rehab. In a new interview with Variety, the comedian discussed his addiction, the emotional struggles that contributed to it and the decision that ultimately pushed him toward sobriety.
Davidson, who left Saturday Night Live in 2022, said the loss of the show’s routine and structure contributed to a difficult period. His semi-autobiographical Peacock series Bupkis also forced him to repeatedly revisit painful experiences from his own life.
Pete Davidson Describes the Extent of His Addiction
Speaking to Variety in its September 30, 2026 profile, Davidson recalled how his substance use escalated during the height of his addiction. He said he was using multiple substances while also preparing liquid ketamine for personal use.
“It was K. I was getting liquid and cooking it,”
Davidson said, explaining that his drug use also included acid, mushrooms, whippets, marijuana and pills. He acknowledged that his tolerance had become so high that his relationship with drugs had reached an alarming point.
“It got scary because I didn’t feel high,”
Davidson said.
“I felt high when I wasn’t doing it, so I was like, this is a huge problem.”
According to Davidson, the situation reached its lowest point in 2023. He described the experience of constantly playing a version of himself in Bupkis as emotionally difficult, saying he was using drugs as a way to escape the pain associated with revisiting his personal history.
Davidson said his mother played an important role in convincing him that he needed to change. She told him that her biggest fear was receiving news that something terrible had happened to him, a statement that forced the comedian to confront the consequences of his addiction.
Davidson subsequently went to rehab and stepped away from the second season of Bupkis. He also said he had reached a point where he wanted audiences to take him more seriously rather than allowing his personal life and substance use to dominate the public narrative.
“I was part of the problem of what I hated the most, which was the invasiveness around my personal life,”
he told Variety.
“I was just lobbing it up and continuing the narrative.”
Pete Davidson Says He Is Now Sober
Davidson also provided an update on his sobriety. He said he no longer uses drugs and has been away from harder substances for several years. He added that he stopped using marijuana more recently, describing it as surprisingly difficult to give up.
“I don’t f*** with drugs anymore,”
Davidson said.
The comedian said he currently drinks only occasionally, describing his alcohol consumption as roughly four beers a year. He also credited fatherhood with making sobriety easier, suggesting that having a child has given him another important reason to maintain the changes he made after reaching his lowest point.
Davidson’s latest comments offer a more direct look at the struggles behind his public persona while marking another step in his effort to build a life and career beyond the personal controversies that have frequently surrounded him.
