A year ago, Pete Davidson announced that he had checked himself into a treatment facility to once again address his ongoing challenges with his mental health. Earlier this year, the 31-year-old comedian appeared to be doing much better as he spoke to the Wall Street Journal about prioritizing his health and trying to “revamp his life,” saying he was following the example of his good friend John Mulaney.
Now, it looks like Davidson is following Mulaney’s example in another way — by becoming a father.
Davidson looked pretty tickled in Instagram photos posted by his girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, Wednesday, announcing that the two are expecting a baby. To some, fatherhood may seem like an unlikely path for the former “Saturday Night Live” star, who became known for his mental health crises and stints in rehab, as well as for being an unlikely sex symbol, following his string of high-profile romances with Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian and other famous glamorous women.
But in the photos with Hewitt, Davidson looked happy, relaxed and in love with both the model and the idea of starting a family. In the Wall Street Journal interview, the Staten Island native spoke about his friendship with Mulaney, going back to their time together on “Saturday Night Live,” and said the older comedian was a role model.
“He’s shown me how to persevere,” Davidson told the Wall Street Journal. “I always looked up to him, obviously comedically — he’s not only one of the funniest people working right now, he’s a Top 10 comedian of all time — and I watched him as he took it on the chin a couple of years ago and had to completely revamp his life.”
“I’m kind of in the midst of that now, and he’s been helping me so much,” Davidson continued. “It was so inspiring to watch him beat his addiction, become an even bigger comedian, go on an arena tour, start a family.”
Davidson is referring to Mulaney nearly blowing up his life and career in 2021 due to drug addiction and other issues that shocked a lot of his fans. That year, his artist wife of seven years, Anna Marie Tendler, filed for divorce, as he went into rehab after some of famous friends — Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen — staged an intervention.
That year, the former “Saturday Night Live” writer also became romantically involved with “Your Friends and Neighbors” star Olivia Munn, and she became pregnant with their first child, a boy named Malcolm. Davidson visited the couple after Malcom’s birth, with Mulaney sharing a video of Davidson sweetly cradling the newborn and grinning as he said, “Babies are all head!”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: (L-R) Elsie Hewitt and Pete Davidson attend the 13th Annual Blossom Ball at The Pierre Hotel on May 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Mulaney’s delight at becoming a father and in finding love with Munn appeared to be factors in his ability to turn his life around. Mulaney and Munn have since married and welcomed their second child, a daughter in 2024. Now, as Davidson suggested, Mulaney appears to be working at the top of his game, performing an acclaimed Netflix comedy special, “Baby J,” hosting an innovative new talk-show series, “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA,” and writing and co-hosting the “Saturday Night Live Anniversary Special’ in February.
Davidson also showed his support for another of Mulaney’s recent projects, walking the red carpet in December for the premiere of his Broadway show, “All In: Comedy About Love.” About Mulaney transforming his life, Davidson told the Wall Street Journal: “He’s so happy now and it looks effortless, but it’s not. And I’ve gotta say, he’s always had my back and he’s always there.”
In March, Davidson revealed that he and Hewitt were dating, after they were spotted together in Palm Beach, Florida. A source told Page Six that Davidson’s mother and sister approved of the relationship and “love seeing Pete so happy.”
Davidson told the Wall Street Journal that he was trying to stay healthy by working out most mornings, eating a healthy diet and focusing on “doing good work, being a good son, being a good friend.” When it comes to work, Davidson has several upcoming movies, including “The Pick-Up,” a comedy co-starring Eddie Murphy, which is due to be released in theaters Aug. 6.