Pete Davidson is laser focused on the future.
Currently in the process of removing his tattoos—of which the comedian, 31, previously had around 200—Pete shared with Page Six that the project is “still going strong.”
He told the outlet he is currently “working on the torso.”
Pete has spoken about the painful process several times and emphasized once again that “it’s terrible.”
“They burn off your skin and then you’ve got to do it 10 more times,” he explained, going on to joke, “I think if you can invest in any business, I think you should invest in the tattoo removal business.”
While it’s difficult for him to ignore the pain, he added, “They just put me to sleep which is kind of nice but if it’s just the arm, I try to listen to stuff or talk to the nurse.”
Fans recently got a glimpse of Pete’s progress, as the actor posed in an advertisement for the brand Reformation earlier this month as the “Official Boyfriend of Reformation.”
The photos show a tattoo-free chest, stomach and arms, with only miniscule markings remaining.
He hopes that the rest of his body will be ink-free in the near future, although he noted it will take some time, explaining on Late Night with Seth Meyers Feb. 6, “When I’m 40, it’ll all be gone.”
As for the inspiration behind his makeover, The King of Staten Island star previously noted that his tattoos have kept him from his acting career goals.
“I honestly never thought that I would get an opportunity to act, and I love it a lot,” he told Seth Meyers in 2021. “For some reason, people in movies, they don’t have [tattoos] that much.”
However, Pete’s acting a lot more these days, as he recently starred in Riff Raff alongside Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge and Gabrielle Union, which premiered in theatres Feb. 28. And while it’s a comedy, he shared that he hopes to expand his repertoire in the future.
“I would love to do more serious stuff,” Pete exclusively told E! News Feb. 26 at the New York City premiere. “It’s a lot of fun. I’m really enjoying it.”
For other celebrities who have removed their tattoos, read on.
Victoria Beckham
After the Spice Girls alum removed several tattoos she’d gotten in honor of husband David Beckham, social media users started to wonder if there was trouble in paradise. However, Victoria set the record straight.
“I had these tattoos a long, long time ago, and they just weren’t particularly delicate,” she explained on a 2022 episode of Today. “My husband has so many gorgeous tattoos, and the children do and they’re very fine. And they’ve had them created by the most phenomenal artists. But mine were just a little bit thick and they were bleeding a little bit and just not looking as pretty.”
So no, the tattoo removal didn’t reflect the state of Victoria’s marriage to the soccer star, with whom she shares kids Brooklyn Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham and Harper Beckham.
“I think the media started to speculate was I leaving my husband?” the fashion designer continued. “No, I was just a bit sick of the tattoo. It’s as simple as that.”
Kaley Cuoco
After her whirlwind engagement and subsequent marriage to former tennis star Ryan Sweeting fell apart, The Big Bang Theory actress found herself at a tattoo parlor trying to “right her wrongs.”
What were her wrongs you ask? Getting her wedding date tattooed on her back.
Taking to Instagram to post a picture of the removal process, Kaley—who later wed and divorced equestrian Karl Cook and is now engaged to actor TomPelphrey—shared words of wisdom with her followers.
“Thank you @nero_sct @studiocitytattoo for helping me right my wrongs..” she wrote, “note to self- do not mark your body with any future wedding dates #under30mistakes#donttakeyourselftooseriouslykids.”
Eva Longoria
Following her divorce from basketball player Tony Parker, the Desperate Housewives star had not one, not two, but three tattoos to remove. These included her former husband’s jersey number on the back of her neck, their wedding date on her wrist and his initials.
Hayden Panettiere
In 2009, Panettiere got a tattoo that said “live with no regrets” written in Italian on her left rib cage—sounds cool, right? She thought so, too, until she realized that it was misspelled—from no regrets to instant regret. The actress began the process of getting it removed in 2013.
Mark Wahlberg
The Departed star was ready to have his tattoos depart from his body. In fact, he previously revealed he had eight or nine removed. The reason?
“Maturity,” Mark said on a 2020 episode of The Late Late Show, “sensibility.”
Although, getting them removed was not an easy process.
“It took me five years to get the tattoos removed, and it’s dreadfully painful,” the actor continued, likening the pain to having “hot bacon grease getting flicked on you over and over and over again.”
Megan Fox
While Marilyn Monroe is an icon, Megan had no problem erasing her from her arm.
In 2012, the Jennifer’s Body actress began the process of having her tattoo of Marilyn, a memento from her rebellious 19-year-old self, removed.
“It’s traumatic and it’s incredibly painful,” Megan said on a 2012 episode of The Tonight Show, per Us Weekly. “They can’t numb it enough to make the pain go away.”
Melanie Griffith
In the 1990s, Melanie had the name of her then-husband, Antonio Banderas, tattooed inside of a heart on her right arm. When the couple initially split, his name mysteriously vanished from her body.
Angelina Jolie
Before Brangelina, there was Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie.
After the couple divorced in 2003, the Maleficent star had a tattoo of the Sling Blade alum’s name removed from her left arm. Since then, she has replaced it with coordinates of her family’s birthplaces.
Heidi Klum
In 2008, the supermodel got the name of her then-husband Seal tattooed on her right forearm to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary.
But when the couple called it quits in 2012, part of Heidi’s healing process included removing the declaration of love from her body. These days, all that remains of the original ink are three stars symbolizing the couple’s children together.
Khloe Kardashian
At one point, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had two tattoos that she got in memory of her father. However, as of March 2017, she only has one. The tattoo that remains showcases the words, “I love you,” on her wrist written in her father’s handwriting. The tattoo that the reality star decided to remove was a cross and angel wings with the word “Daddy” written on her backside.
Khloe even took to Snapchat to share the entire removal process with fans.
