Pete Davidson did not blindside his ex-fiancée Ariana Grande when he spoke about their October breakup on the Saturday, November 3, episode of Saturday Night Live, multiple sources tell Us Weekly exclusively.
“Ariana knew Pete was going to address the split on SNL, but did not know what he would say,” one source says.
The comedian, 24, referenced his broken engagement with Grande, 25, when he joked during the “Weekend Update” segment of Saturday’s show that he recently moved back in with his mom. (He had been living in the singer’s New York City apartment during their whirlwind four-month relationship.)
Later in the sketch, Davidson addressed the news head-on. “I know some of you are curious about the breakup, but the truth is, it’s nobody’s business,” he told viewers. “Sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s OK. She’s a wonderful, strong person, and I genuinely wish her all the happiness in the world.”
The Set It Up actor’s comments came about an hour after Grande released her new single, “Thank U, Next,” in which she name-drops him and her other ex-boyfriends. “Even almost got married / And for Pete, I’m so thankful,” she sings in the first verse.
A source tells Us that the song did not affect Davidson’s planned “Weekend Update” remarks.
“Pete had been planning to address the split days before Saturday,” the insider notes. “What he had planned was set by dress rehearsal, which starts at 8 p.m. He didn’t find out about Ariana’s song until later, and that didn’t change what he said on ‘Weekend Update.’”
