Pete Davidson’s Terrifying Note Should Remind Us — Cyberbullying Can Be Deadly
Pete Davidson Image by Getty Images
Pete Davidson, SNL comedian and former fiancee to pint-sized popstar Ariana Grande, uploaded a concerning message on Instagram page on Saturday, but quickly deleted it. “i really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. i’m doing my best to stay here for you but i actually don’t know how much longer i can last. all i’ve ever tried to do was help people. just remember i told you so,” he wrote.
This scary post sent the Internet into a frenzy, with a myriad of worried fans and celebrities reaching out to Davidson, who has been open about his struggles with his mental health and borderline personality disorder. The NYPD also made sure to locate the Jewish funnyman and do a “wellness check” on him.
Despite the drama that went down hours earlier, Davidson made an appearance on SNL later that night, albeit briefly. He spoke in a pre-recorded skit and introduced the performance of Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson.
Davidson’s post came almost immediately after he spoke out in support of rapper Kanye West for his “bravery in speaking about mental health” on Twitter, which some saw as a diss to his ex Ariana Grande, who had criticized West’s stream of tweets. Grande’s fans went nuclear on the comedian, blasting him for his involvement. On Instagram and Twitter users encouraged Davidson to kill himself. When Davidson posted the alarming note on Instagram about now wanting “to be on this earth anymore,” even more users commented, urging him to take his own life.
The cyberbullying of Davidson is nothing new. Pete Davidson has been verbally blitzed on social media ever since he became a household name among prepubescents this summer due to his spontaneous engagement to Ariana Grande. Hateful coverage of Davidson only intensified after the pair ended their engagement. In early December, Davidson spoke out on Instagram about the hostility he’s faced on the Internet, attempting to bring awareness to the dangers of bullying.
Pete Davidson is a loved public figure, a successful and wealthy comedian, and a young person — and between cyberbullying and his disorder, he still deals with suicidal urges. Friends and fans of Ariana, why are we doing this?
Remember: when life deals us cards, makes everything taste like it’s salt, we’re supposed to come through like the sweetener we are.
You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
Tamar Skydell is an intern at The Forward. You can contact her at skydell@forward.com
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