NEWSPete Davidson Is Removing His Tattoos Because They Remind Him of When He Was a 'Sad Drug Addict': 'I'm Starting Fresh'
Pete Davidson has been removing his ink for more than four years.
Pete Davidson got vulnerable in a new interview when discussing why he's in the yearslong process of removing his multitude of tattoos.
"I used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up," he confessed of getting ink on nearly every part of his body other than his face.
Pete Davidson said he's getting his tattoos erased because they're a reminder of when he was struggling with addiction.
"It was really just because I wasn’t taking care of myself," the comedian, 31, explained to Variety. "And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with tattoos, but mine, when I look at them, I remember a sad person that was very unsure."
"So I’m just removing them and starting fresh, because that’s what I think works best for me and for my brain. When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of ‘Oh yeah, you were a f------ drug addict. Like, that’s why you have SpongeBob smoking a joint on your back,’" Davidson spilled. "They should have meaning. Not just that I was high watching Game of Thrones."
The comedian said the removal process will take him 'another 10 years.'
The Saturday Night Live alum started the process during the pandemic and guessed it will take him "another 10 years" to finish.
"My arms are pretty much gone, and my hands and neck are gone. But I still have to do my torso and back," he said.
"And I think if you could invest in anything — I know the stock market’s gone — but tattoo removal will be the biggest business in the next five to 10 years. And then they’ll be cool again in 10 years, right? But right now, it’s out," added the Bupkis star.
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Davidson had his ink digitally erased in a recent campaign for Reformation.
The Staten Island native went on to detail the painful procedures and said he has to plan the laser sessions in between work since it's a "six-week healing process each time you get one removed."
"Each tattoo is 10 to 12 sessions. That’s 60 weeks of your life right there on just one tattoo to remove," he shockingly spilled. "So, it’s pretty horrible. It’s like putting your arm on a grill and burning off a layer, and then you gotta do maintenance and let it heal properly. And it’s pretty tough. It sucks, I’m not gonna lie."
The actor admitted the process is painful and takes weeks to heal.
When asked about how much he'll end up spending once it's all said and done, he shared, "It’s a pretty uncomfortable amount of money to disclose, but I think one of the tabloids already leaked it."
"I’ve already spent like 200K and I’m like 30 precent done. So, like, it’s gonna suck," the actor stated. "Now that I’ve said [the tattoo remover’s] name, though, he’s a little nicer, for sure."
