Saturday Night Live: Pete Davidson talks returning to show, quitting drugs

Where has Pete Davidson been on Saturday Night Live as of late? We’ve heard this question asked ever since the end of last year, but for the most part, he chose to stay quiet on the subject … at least until now. We’re starting to get a better sense now of precisely why he’s been away here and there, and it turns out much of it has to do with a personal battle.

In a post on Instagram, Davidson revealed that he is now sober after a lengthy battle quitting, and he is in a better place in his life than ever before:

“Just wanted to let you guys know I’m okay. I know I’ve kinda been missing, on social media and on the show. I quit drugs and am happy and sober for the first time in 8 years. It wasn’t easy, but I got a great girl, great friends and I consider myself a lucky man. I’ll always be here for you guys, I promise. Remember to never give up hope because sometimes that’s all we got. We are a family and I appreciate all your love and support. It’s nice to be back in action.”

This news is great for Pete’s health, and it should also mark a pretty significant change to his comedy on the show. Just remember for a minute that he’s openly joked about his marijuana usage on the show in the past, and that’s been a part of his persona as a Weekend Update cast member. Getting clean should be an opportunity for him to focus on some other subjects, and we’re excited to see more of what it does for his comedy. He’s an extremely funny, talented guy, and this is one of the reasons why he became such a fan favorite almost immediately after joining the show. Even before that, he was considered to be one of the biggest up-and-coming comedians in the comedy scene.

We’ll see whether Pete surfaces or not on this weekend’s new episode, which is going to be hosted by Scarlett Johansson for the fifth time. That’s really up to him, but we hope to see him back doing more of what he does best sooner rather than later. (It certainly sounds based on the post like he’ll be back.)

Are you happy to see Pete Davidson quitting drugs, and getting back to some of what he’s so great at? Share now in the comments below! (Photo: NBC.)