Path to Sobriety
Pete Davidson Details Overcoming Severe Daily Drug Use and Finding Lasting Sobriety
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Key Points
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Davidson said he left Bupkis even after it was renewed for a second season, explaining that he felt he was perpetuating the invasiveness around his personal life that he resented.
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He said it has been about two or three years since he used what he called “really hard stuff,” and more than a year since he stopped using marijuana.
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Davidson said he had been to rehab several times before, and described the period around his 30th birthday as a low point when little was happening with his career.
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He quantified his current drinking as “four beers a year,” rather than simply saying he drinks occasionally.
Comedian Pete Davidson opened up about a terrifying period in summer 2023 when he was taking at least six different drugs daily — ketamine, acid, mushrooms, pills, and other substances — but no longer felt high. Yahoo reported that an emotional call from his mother, who feared something terrible would happen to him, prompted Davidson to leave his hit series Bupkis and return to rehab.
Now 32, Davidson says he has stopped using drugs altogether. People reports that it has been two to three years since he used "really hard stuff" and more than a year since he quit marijuana. He now drinks only occasionally — about "four beers a year" — and credits raising his daughter, Scottie, with helping him maintain sobriety.
The Spiral: Lost Structure After SNL
Davidson linked his drug escalation to two major life changes. First, leaving Saturday Night Live stripped away the daily routine that had anchored his life. Second, making Bupkis — his deeply personal autobiographical series — became emotionally draining. He felt trapped, perpetuating the invasiveness around his private life that he had long resented. The combination left him adrift and searching for escape.
The low point came around his 30th birthday, when little was happening in his career and his drug use spiraled. Malaysia News Yahoo describes this as a "scary" phase when Davidson's tolerance had grown so high that even six daily drugs stopped delivering any high. He was using just to feel normal, a sign his addiction had reached a critical stage.
A Mother's Call Broke Through His Denial
Davidson had entered rehab multiple times before, but nothing stuck — until his mother called. The conversation was emotional and direct: she feared her son would die. That call shattered his denial in a way professional intervention alone had not. He realized his family's love mattered more than the false comfort drugs provided, and he chose recovery for himself rather than because he was forced into it.
Leaving Bupkis was part of his recovery plan. Even though the show was renewed for a second season, People reports that Davidson walked away. He understood that continuing to mine his trauma for entertainment would only pull him deeper into the patterns that fueled his addiction. The decision marked a turning point: choosing his health over his career.
Sobriety Works When You Choose It
Davidson emphasized that recovery only worked when he decided it for himself. Forced rehab stints had failed repeatedly. But when he made the choice — driven by his mother's fear and his own exhaustion — something shifted. He stopped using hard drugs two to three years ago and quit marijuana more recently. The process was harder with marijuana, which carried more psychological grip than other substances.
Today, his daughter Scottie serves as his biggest motivation. Davidson says being a father has given him renewed purpose and a reason to stay clean. His drinking is now minimal — just four beers annually. He has rebuilt structure in his life, and sobriety has become not a burden but a foundation for being present for his family and his career.
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