The king of Staten Island — and his courtiers. Pete Davidson is one of the most popular comedians working today, but only a few people have become part of his inner circle.
One such person is Machine Gun Kelly, who met the Saturday Night Live alum in 2017 during a Wild ‘N Out taping. The duo later grew close on the set of the Netflix film The Dirt, which premiered in 2019.
“We were just stuck down there in New Orleans, and we were both just, like, super stoners,” the “Bad Things” singer told Billboard in August 2018. “[We] listened to the same music. … So, that’s my boy.”
After the Set It Up actor posted an alarming social media message about his mental health following his split from ex-fiancée Ariana Grande, Kelly dropped everything to check in on him. “I’m in the plane now on the way to see Pete,” the Texas native tweeted in December 2018. “Gonna make sure he’s good, I promise. can’t have my boy in the darkness like that.”
Davidson is also close to fellow comedian John Mulaney, who previously wrote for SNL and has hosted the show five times. In January 2019, the pair teamed up for a heartfelt “Weekend Update” segment where they discussed their friendship.
“I’ve been spending time with Pete to try to show him that you can have a life in comedy that is not insane,” the Big Mouth star, who had been sober for a decade, said at the time. “A sober, domestic life.” (Mulaney later relapsed and entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction in 2020.)
The New York City native replied, “And after observing John’s life, I publicly threatened suicide,” referencing the Instagram post that inspired MGK to check on him. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t make that joke, but it is funny.”
Mulaney later explained that the twosome came up with the idea for the segment together ahead of their joint comedy tour. “I tell him I love him all the time,” the Dickinson alum told Esquire in September 2019. “Pete and I came up with that bit together, but in my head, I was like, ‘I hope this a cathartic thing for him.’ However it came to be, I was very glad it was there.”
There’s one thing they won’t do together, though: get tattoos. Davidson is known for having tons of ink, but he doesn’t want his friend to follow in his footsteps. “I don’t think you should get tattoos,” the Guy Code alum told Mulaney during a joint Vanity Fair interview in June 2020. “I think you’re too sweet and cool, and I think it would devalue the product.”
Keep scrolling to see who’s in Davidson’s inner circle.