Comedian Pete Davidson revealed that marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 has proved far more difficult now that he is a father himself.
Davidson's father Scott was a New York City firefighter who died aged 33 alongside his entire unit while responding to the terror attack on the World Trade Center.
The former Saturday Night Live cast member was seven years old at the time of his father's death, a loss that shaped his childhood and later featured prominently throughout his stand-up comedy and screen work, including his 2020 film The King of Staten Island.
Davidson, who celebrates his own 33rd birthday in November, welcomed a baby girl named Scottie in December with his then-girlfriend Elsie Hewitt. Reaching the exact age his father was when he died in the line of duty has given the milestone a new resonance for the actor.
"Honestly, this year is way harder than it’s been in a really long time because I have Scottie, and now I’m the age that my dad was when he died. So I’m just kind of like: 'Holy s***,'" Davidson told the New York Post.
Reflections on reaching his father's age
The comedian explained how his perspective on his father's age shifted after turning 33 and having a child of his own.
"I thought: 'Oh, he was an old guy. He’s 33.' But now I’m there, and I have a kid, and that would be like my kid not having her dad," Davidson observed.
Despite the painful milestone, Davidson noted that spending the day with his infant daughter brings a sense of comfort.
"So this year is extra tough, but also extra beautiful because I get to spend the day with Scottie. It’ll be very healing and special," he said.
Looking on the bright side, he added: "I have old videos and pictures and stuff, and I’m excited to share the classic stories I have of him with her."
Davidson recalled a poignant routine from Scottie's first months of life when bathing her in the sink.
"When Scottie was first born, we’d give her a bath in the sink, and there’s a picture of my dad above the sink. She would always stare at it," he recalled.
At the time, he wondered whether she was simply observing her surroundings. "I don’t know if that’s because that’s the only picture there and she’s brand new and just observing things," he noted.
However, after relocating to Brooklyn and placing the photograph in a different spot, he noticed her continuing to look toward it.
"However he then moved back to Brooklyn and put the picture in a different location. When I walk around, Scottie always turns her head and looks at him. I don’t know what I believe in, but I like to think that his presence is somehow around," Davidson said.
Honoring Scott Davidson's memory
Davidson showered praise on Hewitt for her enthusiasm regarding the decision to name their baby after his father.
"It was really cool that Elsie also wanted to name her Scottie. My dad’s name was Scott, but his nickname was Scotty," he noted. "When she arrived, we both looked at her and were like: 'She looks like a Scottie.' It’s nice to keep that name alive."
The couple chose the name Scottie both as a tribute to Davidson's late father and as a sly reference to the fact that she was conceived in Scotland.
Davidson and Hewitt went public with their relationship in March 2025 and announced her pregnancy a month later in April. Fans hoped he had placed his turbulent past behind him and was settling down to family life.
As he pivoted to fatherhood, Davidson spent a rumored $200,000 removing his prodigious sprawl of tattoos.
However, the Daily Mail exclusively reported on whispers of relationship woes in May 2026, and later that month it emerged they had definitely split.
Earlier reflections on loss and parenthood
Before his relationship with Hewitt, Davidson had a high-octane dating history with celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Kate Beckinsale and Kaia Gerber.
In 2022, Davidson touchingly described how his father's death had fueled his desire to have children during an episode of Kevin Hart's talk show Hart to Hart.
"Since my dad died, I was like: 'Oh, I can't wait to have a kid,'" Davidson said at the time, when he was romantically involved with Kardashian.
"I don't like saying corny s***. The reasoning was like: I don't want a kid to ever feel like how I feel right now," The King of Staten Island star explained.
He noted his father's absence "wasn't his fault; he passed away," but added that he himself hoped "just to be there so that someone doesn't have to feel like that."
Davidson added that he was "very excited" to have children so that he would have the chance "to do that for someone and watch them have what I didn't."
