Pete Davidson's Parents: All About His Mom Amy and Late Dad Scott (2024)

Pete Davidson's parents are the inspiration behind much of his comedy.

A New York City native, Davidson grew up on Staten Island with his mother, Amy Waters Davidson, his father, Scott Matthew Davidson, and his younger sister, Casey Davidson. When he was 7 years old, Scott, an N.Y.C. firefighter, died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks — an event that had a massive impact on Davidson.

"I tell my friends that all the time if my childhood was fine I'd probably be a construction worker in Staten Island and be the happiest guy ever," the Saturday Night Live alum said on a 2022 episode of Kevin Hart's Hart to Heart series. "But that weird s--- that it does to you, made me love comedy."

"It was really so hard for him to recover, and I would even say that it's just been recently that he's finding his way and being okay," Amy said of her son's grieving process during a 2020 interview with PEOPLE.

From tattoo tributes to film projects, the comedian has continued to honor his late father and keep his memory alive. He also remains close to his mother and even lived with her until purchasing his own home in 2021.

Though they live separately now, Davidson and his mom have remained close. In November 2024, the mom and son were photographed sitting together at a Brooklyn Nets game in New York.

Here's everything to know about Pete Davidson's parents.

Scott was an N.Y.C. firefighter who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks

According to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Scott Matthew Davidson became a firefighter in 1994 with Ladder Company 118.

Prior to starting his career, he earned a bachelor's degree in history from the College of Staten Island, where he also played on the school's basketball team and served as captain his senior year.

Scott was on duty during the Sept. 11 attacks and died in the line of duty. At the time, Davidson was just 7 years old. The comedian and his family have been open about how losing his father at such a young age impacted him.

In 2015, his mother, Amy, told The New York Times that after his father's death, Davidson began acting out in school and, at one point, ripped all his hair out. As a teenager, he turned to stand-up comedy as an outlet.

"He had a tough time growing up without a dad — I wanted him to be happy, and this made him really, really happy," she said.

In September 2023, Amy honored her late husband with an Instagram post. She shared several throwback photos, including one of her and Scott hugging and a snap of a young Pete wearing his father’s firefighting gear.

“Happiest days of my life and I didn’t know it 💙” she captioned the post. “Never forget and always be grateful 💙.”

Davidson lived with Amy as an adult

Following his split from Ariana Grande in 2019, Davidson bought a home on Staten Island with his mother.

"We bought a house together, but nobody believes that," he said during an appearance on The Tonight Show. "I live with my mom, kinda, so I have like a basement that's like mine that's like an apartment, so I live underneath her, so I'm getting like a little arcade set up down there trying to make it mine."

While promoting his 2020 Netflix special Alive From New York, the comedian gave a tour of his basement apartment. "I moved here like a year ago and built this weird little basement to stay away from f—ing people," he said.

When the tour got to his room, he joked, "This is my bedroom, where nothing happens because I live with my mom."

During an SNL Weekend Update segment in February 2021, Davidson revealed that he was moving out of his mother's house.

"In some ways, I like the pandemic Valentine's because it's the first time being alone wasn't my fault," he said. "I spent the night eating chocolates and watching a movie with my mom, which is why I'm officially moving out of the house. One of us has to go."

Davidson and Amy have appeared together on-screen

While Amy isn't a professional entertainer like her son, she's comfortable being on camera. In 2019, she joined Davidson on SNL's Weekend Update segment for a Mother's Day episode.

The comedian joked about their living arrangement, saying, "I know what people think. They see you on TV and magazines and stuff and they think, 'That guy must have a place.' Nope."

When host Colin Jost asked Davidson what he and his mom had planned for Mother's Day, he quipped, "What do you mean? I put her on TV. This is it." He then added, "I mean, you don't know. Jon Hamm could be single and watching."

"I'd also settle for James Spader," Amy replied. "You'd settle for a Ninja Turtle. I just need a dad," Davidson quipped.

In February 2023, Amy also appeared in a Smartwater commercial alongside her son.

"I'm still the same old kid from Staten Island. I'm just a little more elevated," Davidson says in the ad.

Later, the comedian and his mom are seated at a dining table while a personal chef presents them with black truffle grilled cheese. "I still chill with my mom," he says as he blows the truffles off the plate.

Davidson continues to honor his dad's memory

Known for his love of ink, Davidson has included multiple tributes to his father in his sprawling tattoo collection.

On his left arm, the comedian has a kneeling firefighter tattoo along with the firefighter's prayer and the Roman numeral nine, which likely represents the month his father died. Davidson's upper left arm also features a tattoo of his father's initials, SMD. Behind his ear, he has the number 11 tattooed.

Davidson has also shared social media tributes to his father on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

For the 15-year anniversary in 2016, he shared a photo of himself with his dad sipping Heineken beer along with the caption, "Can't believe tomorrow is going to be 15 years. Missing the legend !!! Thank u all for ur kind words and support as always #werememberthem."

He also posted a photo of his father wearing black boots, writing, "One of my dads homies gave me his old dirty a– boots from work and a sick photo of him lookin like a young legend !!! Apparently my dad wore skechers how f—in embarrassing!"

During a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimel Live in 2020, Davidson, joined by his mother, shared that he made a donation in his father's honor to Answer The Call, an organization that provides support to families of N.Y.C.'s first responders.

"Answer The Call is the fund that helped my family when my dad passed," the comedian told host Jimmy Kimmel. "It helps for firefighters and ES workers that passed away in the line of duty and it helps out their families."

Most recently in October 2024, Davidson stepped out to attend an event in California, where he was spotted with less ink as he's currently undergoing tattoo removal, though his art honoring his dad wasn't visible at the time.

They inspired Davidson's 2020 film The King of Staten Island

In 2020, Davidson released The King of Staten Island, a semi-autobiographical film that draws on his childhood experiences.

In the film, directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by Davidson, the comedian plays Scott, a 20-something aspiring tattoo artist living in N.Y.C. and grappling with the loss of his firefighter father, who died 17 years prior.

"The movie is like my love letter to my mom, and trying to end that part of my life," Davidson told PEOPLE. "I feel like we finally got to a place where we could let go a little bit."

In an interview with The New York Times, Davidson said he saw the movie as an opportunity to "just really lay it all out there and be able to heal and move on from it, instead of, every day, feeling sorry for myself. Now we can put that in the past."

Amy often shares childhood photos of Davidson on Instagram

In a social media tribute for his 29th birthday, Amy shared a series of childhood pictures of Davidson.

"Happiest birthday to you Peter!" the proud mom wrote in a November 2022 Instagram post. "We love you and you have made us laugh since the day you were born! Have the best day!!"

Among the photos are a young Davidson playing a guitar, posing with his sister in front of the Christmas tree and riding in a wagon with a friend.

Amy has also shared a number of other childhood photos on her Instagram, including family portraits featuring her late husband, Scott.