Pete Davidson Cheers on Ariana Grande’s Oscar Bid for Wicked

Comedian Expresses Support for His Former Fiancée as She Lands a Best Supporting Actress Nomination

Pete Davidson is proving that time and distance haven’t dulled his admiration for Ariana Grande. The Saturday Night Live alum recently voiced his support for his former fiancée’s Academy Award nomination for Wicked, hoping she takes home the Oscar gold.

“I hope she wins the Oscar, I hope she takes the gold,” Davidson told Page Six. “When we see each other, which is few and far between, because we’re not in the same circles, it’s all love.”

Grande, who portrays Glinda in the highly anticipated Wicked adaptation, secured her first-ever Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. She faces stiff competition from Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave), and Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez).

A Relationship in the Spotlight

Davidson and Grande’s whirlwind romance in 2018 captivated fans and the media alike. The couple got engaged just weeks after they began dating in the spring of that year, with Davidson even getting a tattoo of a bunny mask in homage to Grande’s Dangerous Woman era. Their love story played out in music as well, with Grande dedicating a track simply titled “Pete Davidson” on her Sweetener album. However, the engagement was short-lived, ending in October 2018. Still, Grande gave Davidson a gracious nod in her 2018 anthem of self-growth and reflection, Thank U, Next.

Davidson Reflects on His SNL Days

Beyond his well-wishes for Grande, Davidson also opened up in his interview about his own career struggles, sharing that he became emotional while rewatching his original SNL audition tape. “The innocence in my eyes made me so sad,” he admitted. “Showbiz is so tough, and I didn’t know how tough it was… I picked the wrong business to have a mental illness and go into. I’m one of the most insecure and sad people ever, and I picked the most insecure, sad business to go into.”

Davidson, who joined SNL at just 20 years old, also noted that the significant age gap between him and many of his castmates made it difficult to connect. “Everyone was 10-plus years older than me and I had a hard time fitting in. No one was mean, but there was an age difference. They were getting married, having kids, and I was like, ‘Do you guys want to come over to play video games?!’ So I hung out with Lorne [Michaels].”

Wicked’s Award Season Glory

Grande’s Wicked nomination is part of a broader wave of success for the film, which earned a total of ten Oscar nominations. Among them are nods for Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba), Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Hair & Makeup.

As Hollywood eagerly awaits Oscar night, one thing is clear—whether or not Grande takes home the statuette, she already has a fan in Pete Davidson.