Pete Davidson revealed he’s been hiding his arms in sweaters for six months as his $200,000 tattoo removal enters its final stages.
The 32-year-old comedian, who began the multi-year process in 2020, said his skin is now nearly free of the roughly 200 tattoos that once covered his arms and chest. He made the comments during an interview at the “How to Rob a Bank” premiere in New York City on Tuesday.
“It’s brutal,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum said of the ongoing process.
“You don’t know what’s going on under there,” he quipped, referring to the distinct stages skin undergoes between procedures.
While his ink is almost gone, Davidson joked that “they might come back.” In fact, he recently debuted his daughter Scottie’s name inked on the side of his ear during an appearance at Las Vegas CinemaCon in April. At the time, he took the stage wearing a red T-shirt with small patches of his ink that were hardly visible.
Davidson welcomed his daughter with his ex-girlfriend Elsie Hewitt in December 2025.
The “King of Staten Island” star has been open about how his tattoos affected his acting career. He explained on a previous episode of “Late Night With Seth Meyers” that he would spend up to three hours in a makeup chair to cover them.
“For some reason, people in movies, they don’t have them that much,” he said.
Among his extensive collection were special tributes to now-ex-girlfriends Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian and Cazzie David.
During a January 2025 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Davidson told the TV personality that he was “trying to clean-slate it” and his ink was “almost gone” now.
“I’ve been burning them off,” he explained, sharing that the removal process felt “worse” than getting the tattoos.
“They burn off a layer of your skin, then it has to heal for six to eight weeks,” the “Suicide Squad” star said. “You can’t get in the sunlight. And then you’ve got to do it, like, 12 more times.”
Davidson warned the audience to really consider the tattoos they want, rather than making impulse decisions, referring to himself as a “sad boy” when he got inked.
The “Freak Brothers” alum now plans on only keeping two or three tattoos total. His daughter’s name on his ear appears to be among those survivors.
The comedian’s tattoo journey began during his early years in the spotlight, when he accumulated ink at a rapid pace. What started as personal expression became a professional burden, eventually prompting the costly and painful reversal.
Davidson’s candor about the removal process has made him an unlikely cautionary tale for impulse ink. His six-month sweater phase reflects the healing constraints that come with each session.
The “How to Rob a Bank” premiere marks his latest public appearance as he navigates both new fatherhood and his transformed appearance.