In a candid August 2025 interview on The Breakfast Club, comedian Pete Davidson spoke openly about how the media’s obsession with the so-called “Big D*** Energy” (BDE) during his relationship with Ariana Grande had a deeply negative effect on him. He revealed he felt “embarrassed” and “hurt”—saying that the attention overshadowed his professional work and disproportionately focused on his physicality rather than his talent.
Davidson recalled feeling demoralized as headlines emphasized his body over his craft.
“No one talked about any work I was doing. They were just like, ‘Oh, that’s the f‑‑‑‑ stick.’ And that hurt so much.”
He also shared that close friends, family, and colleagues from Saturday Night Live noticed his growing sadness and discomfort amid the relentless coverage.
Davidson reflected on broader issues of gender and media treatment, remarking that if he were female, society would likely have recognized the unfair sexualization and rallied in protest.
“If that was a girl, people would be like, there would be a march for it… Seriously. You’re just talking about my d‑‑‑ all day.”
He traced the origin of the BDE narrative back to 2018, when his relationship with Grande—a pop star widely perceived as “out of his league”—sparked speculation in the New York Times, which then propelled the BDE buzz.
Ultimately, Davidson called the experience “traumatic,” lamenting how living through public scrutiny of his personal life eclipsed his professional identity—and seriously impacted his well-being. Now expecting his first child with girlfriend Elsie Hewitt, he’s focusing on a new, more grounded chapter of fatherhood.
