Showing support. Jon Stewart is the latest celebrity to come to Pete Davidson’s defense amid the Saturday Night Live star’s ongoing feud with Kanye West.
“He’s just a f–king smart, funny kid trying to live his life,” the Daily Show alum, 59, said of the King of Staten Island actor, 28, on “The Howard Stern Show” on Tuesday, March 22. “I think he’s doing as best you can in that situation when you’re dealing with something that’s so explosive and loaded with all kinds of other things. I just love that kid.”
Stewart revealed that he knows Davidson “real well” and called him “one of my favorite people.” He further explained that he has a “paternal instinct” when it comes to his fellow comedians.
“I’ve seen too many of my friends get in trouble,” he told Stern, 68. “It’s a f–ked up business.”
Stewart also mentioned the “stereotype about the comedy world as being sort of not supportive.” Though it’s a “cutthroat” environment, he said, “There is a real camaraderie.”
This support from his fellow comedians has been on full display throughout Davidson and West’s feud, which kicked off when the Big Time Adolescence star began dating the Donda artist’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, in October 2021.
Multiple comedians — including Stewart’s Daily Show successor Trevor Noah and Davidson’s fellow SNL cast member Michael Che — have spoken out about the drama in defense of the couple.
Claiming that the “Gold Digger” rapper, 44, has become “more and more belligerent” with his social media attacks against the Suicide Squad actor, Noah, 38, shared an impassioned speech defending Davidson and Kardashian, 41, on The Daily Show on March 15. One day later, West was temporarily suspended from Instagram after he called the TV host a racial slur in response. On Sunday, March 20, Us Weekly also confirmed that the Recording Academy cut the Yeezy designer’s performance from the 2022 Grammys due to his recent Instagram posts, including his attack against Noah. (For his part, the South Africa native disagreed with the decision, tweeting the next day, “I said counsel Kanye, not cancel Kanye.”)
Kardashian herself “wants to protect Pete just as much as Pete wants to protect her,” a source told Us of the reality star’s reaction to West’s “Eazy” video, in which the rapper decapitates and burns a claymation likeness of Davidson.
“She found it really disturbing and is fearful of what could come of it,” the insider added.
For his part, Davidson has “had enough of seeing Kim being made out to be the villain,” a source told Us on March 14, explaining his reasoning for allegedly texting West in defense of Kardashian.
