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Club Owner Was ‘Shocked’ When Pete Davidson Left Comedy Gig Following Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale Jokes: ‘We Were Friends’ (Exclusive)

His side of the story. Club owner Vinnie Brand did not expect Pete Davidson to leave the building before taking the stage at a scheduled comedy show.

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Davidson, 25, was set to perform at the Stress Factory Comedy Club in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Monday, April 29, but canceled last minute after he was “disrespected” by Brand. However, the club owner tells Us Weekly exclusively that he was “shocked’ by the Saturday Night Live star’s sudden departure, as “everything was great [and] he was fine” just minutes prior.

Vinnie Brand Shocked That Pete Davidson Walked Out of Club
Pete Davidson and Vinnie Brand Getty Images (2)

“What happened last night is beyond strange and shocking,” Brand tells Us. “His security team … sent me an email about Pete not wanting any cell phones out or anyone to yell out specifically about Ariana [Grande] and Kate [Beckinsale]. … I said I would protect him and make a quick five-minute announcement about the [rules].”

Brand explains that he got up on stage to tell the audience that if they went against the guidelines, they would “be removed from the room.” He continues, “Right before I went on stage, we were fine. Pete and I were friends!”

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When Brand got off the stage, however, he says the SNL cast member got upset, “asked why I had disrespected him” and left. The club owner adds that he had “three people policing the audience” and wanted Davidson to feel “comfortable” during the performance.

“I would never do a joke about [his love life],” Brand notes. “I’ve known him for years — way before he was a big star. … I was shocked [by his actions]. It was unlike him; we were friends.”

Vinnie Brand Shocked That Pete Davidson Walked Out of Club
Pete Davidson and Vinnie Brand backstage at The Stress Factory Comedy Club on May 30, 2015 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Bobby Bank/WireImage

Brand concludes that he “refunded … the audience’s tickets” and “told the truth about what happened.” However, an eyewitness claims that “Vinnie is lying” about the evening’s events. The onlooker explains, “Pete and his group were trying to leave [and] Vinnie was super aggressive, cursing and trying to push past some of the guys and get into the car that Pete was leaving in.”

A second source adds that the club owner “was told to not go on stage and not to say anything … and instead he went on stage and said everything. There are signs around the venue that say, ‘No cell phones.’ Those are all over the place, every show; it’s something Pete provides the venue. There is no reason Vinnie had to get up on stage.”

The insider also explains that “there was no email sent to Vinnie before the show that said anything about Kate and Ariana.”

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Another eyewitness previously told Us that Brand went in front of the audience “in an obvious attempt to embarrass Pete.” The source recalled, “[Brand] sarcastically said, ‘Don’t ask any questions about his exes Ariana Grande or Kate Beckinsale.’”

Davidson took to his Instagram Stories on Monday evening and apologized to fans who were in attendance. He promised to reschedule the show at a different location in the coming days.

The Dirt actor was engaged to Grande, 25, for four months before they split in October 2018. He moved on with Beckinsale, 45, but a source told Us earlier this month that the duo are slowing things down and are not as “serious” about each other as they once were.

With reporting by Travis Cronin and Brody Brown

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