Pete Davidson just made his last appearance as a full-time cast member on Saturday Night Live! The comedian, 28, popped up alongside Colin Jost on Weekend Update, revealing that he is indeed leaving — all because Lorne Michaels “gifted” him a sock (just like Dobby in Harry Potter, who then became a free elf). “Hello Colin, and Che — and millions of people seeing if I’ll bring up Kanye,” he quipped, making a reference to girlfriend Kim Kardashian‘s ex-husband Kanye West.
Pete Davidson's back at the Update desk. #SNLFinale pic.twitter.com/7yOZJJSdlo
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) May 22, 2022
“I never imagined this would be my life. Look at me when I started here — back then I was just a skinny kid and no one knew what race I was,” he went on. “Now everyone knows I’m white because I became hugely successful while barely showing up to work. Look at me now — I’m aging like an old banana. And Colin still looks like the only Kennedy that doesn’t drink,” Pete said to a laughing audience.
Colin then inquired about the big news: “So, are you really leaving?” he questioned. “Yeah man — Lorne accidentally gifted me a sock so I’m now free,” Pete said to the crowd, going on to pay tribute to Lorne and thanking him for the opportunity.
“Lorne for sure — he’s amazing. He’s led us through the COVID era — even though the only time he wears a mask is at his Eyes Wide Shut parties. He always gives me the best advice,” he joked. “I called him and said, when I got engaged — I said, ‘Lorne, I just got engaged to Ariana Grande and we’ve been dating for two weeks’ and he said, ‘Oh! Hold on for dear life’,” Pete shared, referencing his ex from 2018.
“And then I remember when I auditioned for SNL, he looked me in the eye and said ‘I don’t think you’re right for this show — so let’s screw this up together.’ And that’s exactly what we did. That’s why people who think I don’t deserve this job shouldn’t hate me since we have so much in common…like if anything, I should inspire hope — that literally anyone could be on Saturday Night Live,” he explained.
“Thank you to Lorne for never giving up on me, and believing in me, and allowing me to have a place to call home with memories that will last a lifetime — thank you, guys,” he said as he signed off for his final appearance.
Reports broke that the 28-year-old would be leaving the show on Friday, May 20, ending his seven-year run. The Staten Island native was just 20-years-old when showrunner Lorne Michaels handpicked him for the show, making him the youngest cast member in SNL history. Pete has had an illustrious run on the show, spearheading the next generation of musical digital shorts with some massive A-Listers including Taylor Swift and his close friend Miley Cyrus.
Beyond the show, Pete has also had a hand in several other projects — including starring in The King Of Staten Island, which he co-wrote with Dave Sirus and Judd Apatow. Recently, Pete headlined his own set at the Netflix Is A Joke festival held in Hollywood, where he cracked a joke about Kanye.
Of course, Kim, 41, and Pete have been dominating headlines for months. The unexpected couple met during Kim’s hosting debut on October 7, where they also appeared in an Aladdin inspired sketch together. During the hilarious bit, Kim’s Jasmine attempted to convince Pete’s Aladdin that he wasn’t “too much man” for her as they rode on a magic flying carpet. At the end of the sketch, they shared a kiss — which Kim revealed was her first with someone else in 10 years.
The pair were spotted holding hands just two weeks later at the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park on a date, taking things public shortly after. Seven months later, Kim and Pete appear to be more solid than ever — with Pete even bonding with her oldest daughter North, 9. The actor also has several tattoos dedicated to Kim, including one that reads “My Girl Is A Lawyer”, a branding that reads “Kim,” and the letters “KNSCP” as an anagram for Kim, and her four kids North, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3.