Pete Davidson has a new perspective on his dad’s death now that he’s a father himself.
“I thought, ‘Oh, he was an old guy. He’s 33,’” Davidson, 32, told the New York Post on Tuesday, September 8. “But now I’m there, and I have a kid, and that would be like my kid not having her dad.”
Pete was 7 years old when his father, Scott Matthew Davidson, a New York City firefighter, died while responding to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Now, 25 years later, Pete is remembering his dad while raising his own daughter, Scottie, whom he welcomed with ex Elsie Hewitt in December 2025.
“This year is extra tough, but also extra beautiful because I get to spend the day with Scottie,” he told the newspaper ahead of the 25th anniversary of Scott’s death. “It’ll be very healing and special.”
For Pete, it felt only right to name his daughter after his late dad. Hewitt, 30, was in complete agreement.
“It was really cool that Elsie also wanted to name her Scottie,” he told the Post. “My dad’s name was Scott, but his nickname was Scotty. When she arrived, we both looked at her and were like, ‘She looks like a Scottie.’ It’s nice to keep that name alive.”
Pete and Hewitt, who began dating in early 2025, announced that July that they were expecting their first child. Us later confirmed the pair’s split in May after about five months of parenthood.
Looking back at his and Hewitt’s early days as parents, Pete told the outlet that he could sense a connection between Scottie and his father.
“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,” the Saturday Night Live alum recalled. “You’re like, ‘I don’t know if that’s because that’s the only picture there and she’s brand-new and just observing things.’ But then I 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.”
He continued, “I don’t know what I believe in, but I like to think that his presence is somehow around.”
Pete also said he has yet to decide how he’ll tell Scottie about her grandfather’s tragic death.
“Luckily, I have some time,” the King of Staten Island star said. “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***.’”
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.”
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Pete joined 9/11 Day’s “UNIITE for Good” Movement, a campaign calling for Americans to band together and engage in charitable services and good deeds across the country.
Pete remembered his dad in a recent video for 9/11 Day.
“He was a firefighter for Ladder 118, Engine 205 in Brooklyn Heights. My dad loved being a fireman, and he loved saving people, as he did on that day,” he said in the clip. “9/11 is usually a tough day, but this organization, 9/11 Day, does something cool where you do a good deed for someone and you pass it along. You try to make the day a little bit lighter.”
Pete concluded, “Together, let’s show up for each other. Let’s unite for good. I think my dad would have loved that.”
Those interested in participating in the UNIITE for Good Movement can head to 911day.org to pledge a good deed.
