Pete Davidson has taken aim at the way the internet picks apart Ariana Grande's body. In a Variety cover story published on 30 September, the comedian said it 'pained' him to watch her face scrutiny over her looks, then called the whole thing 'f*cked up'.
His comments come weeks after Grande's representative said she would step back from visibility once her Eternal Sunshine Tour ended citing 'endless, ongoing public scrutiny'. Davidson made this statement while saying the pair are 'not texting or whatever'.
Why Pete Davidson Is Speaking Out
Online chatter about Grande's appearance and slim frame peaked this summer, and Davidson made it clear he has had enough. 'I don't like it at all. It's not cool,' he said. He described her as 'a really strong person' and said he has 'witnessed it' himself.
📸: Pete Davidson for Varietyhttps://t.co/3Puuo7p3G0 pic.twitter.com/ytloc7GNjI
— Variety (@Variety) September 30, 2026
He also said she knows how to look after herself. 'She knows how to handle this stuff though. She's been around,' he said. She has done it in public, too. In April 2023, Grande posted a TikTok asking people to be 'gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what'.
She came back to the subject around the Wicked: For Good press cycle, re-sharing an interview clip as a 'loving reminder'. The scrutiny carried on regardless. Davidson's comments reinforce what she's been saying, showing that he's supporting her rather than stepping in to rescue her.
@theeariclips ariana grande talking about her body #arianagrande
♬ original sound - Ariana Grande
Are Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande Still Friends?
In the same interview, Davidson said his work is 'super overlooked' because the public stays fixated on his love life. Yet he was not coy about his past relationships, and on Grande he kept things relaxed. 'We're not texting or whatever, but we're cool,' he said.
The defence came from a comfortable distance, not a close friendship or a reunion. Eight years after the engagement, he had no obligation to say anything at all, and plenty of exes in his position would have kept quiet.
Fans online noticed. 'Pete Davidson DEFENDING Ariana Grande was NOT on my bingo card for 2026!' wrote one. Another agreed he was not wrong and said they were 'glad he's speaking up in her defense'. A third pointed to Grande's Sweetener track 'Pete Davidson', writing: 'maybe she was right making this song.'
Pete Davidson DEFENDING Ariana grande was NOT on my bingo card for 2026!
— Daisy Maddox (@DaviDoll66) September 30, 2026
maybe she was right making this song https://t.co/ZEAVSHBulz
— ꕤ (@yeahihtimylm) October 1, 2026
Between surprise and approval, the reaction suggests that many fans see his support as welcome, if unexpected.
Calling Out Pop Culture's Body Obsession
The bigger issue is the habit Davidson criticised. Female pop stars have been judged on their bodies for as long as there have been cameras and comment sections, and Grande has had to respond to it more than once. Her 2023 request did not end the remarks, and this summer's chatter proved it.
A former partner speaking up can help, because it adds another voice to the message that picking apart a woman's body is not acceptable. It can also backfire, turning her body into another chapter in a celebrity romance story.
Davidson knows that cycle better than most. After nearly a decade on SNL and a growing list of acting roles, he wants his résumé, not his love life, to take centre stage. Whether the Pete Davidson-Ariana Grande conversation makes room for that is another matter.
